


Orphans of The Atom

by HoorayImUseful



Category: Final Fantasy XIII
Genre: F/F, ffxiii project that could kill me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-11
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-03-29 19:58:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 88,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13934229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HoorayImUseful/pseuds/HoorayImUseful
Summary: L’cie are those born with extraordinary gifts. When one comes of age, their abilities manifest- sometimes in terrifying ways. Humanity fears them and the L’cie are polarised in terms of what they want for themselves. Some want peace, others want dominion. Who will win in a war of super-powered humans?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, yeah. Another one. Just take me out the back and shoot me. OR NOT BECAUSE THEN I DON'T UPDATE. I am still halfway through new chapters for Swan Dive and Nebula, as well as a re-write on the last chapter of As Above So Below, so until they're all fixed up this week, here's yet another fucking story to tide y'all over.

The rain belted down in sheets, cascading waves of water flooding through the gutters. The bus roared down the highway, wipers screeching with every pass over the windshield. It was quiet, save for the music blaring from the earphones of a passenger huddled within her hoodie. She was leant up against the glass, face pressed into her fist as she rest against the window.

Letting out a quiet sniff, the girl wiped at her eyes with her sleeve and drew a shuddering breath. At thirteen, she had nowhere else to go. But buying the first bus ticket she could afford to escape Bodhum was all she could do. It hurt to leave her sibling behind, but she knew she was in good hands. After what happened, it was better this way. She didn't even say goodbye to her best friend. She would probably never forgive her.

The young girl never felt more alone in her life. She was scared, things were happening to her that terrified her and all she could do was run.

All she ever did was run.

The first few years were hard. She was just a scared kid on the streets. She often thought about home, whether her kid sister was just as cursed as she was. There was a system to the streets, and the other homeless denizens of Nautilus took pity on her at first, helping her to meals and scraps of coins. Showed her the ropes. She did what she could to hide what she'd become, making herself scarce if her abilities were getting too overwhelming, moving on to other parts of the city if she looked like she was going to be caught out.

Until the night she slipped up. Bone weary and tired, she ripped open a can of refried beans with her bare hands. One of the others saw her and yelled out in alarm, drawing the attention of the others in the area.

"Shit! She's a fucking L'cie!"

Blind panic reared up, and spurred on the further changes to her body. Her nails sharpened into claws and she felt her teeth jut down in her head. Scrambling back to get out of the way, the homeless camp advanced on her, breaking bottles and grabbing pipes to arm themselves. How quickly they'd turned. Yesterday they broke bread with her, today they wanted her dead. How quickly they grow to fear. She closed her eyes and welcomed death. Anything would be better than the life she lived now. She cried out at the first slice of flesh, and didn't stop the tears as the homeless people she'd come to call friends brutally attacked her.

A growl from behind them caused her attackers to pause in their movements, when a tall man loomed from the shadows and bared his sharp teeth.

"Etro, it's another one!"

He surged forward, bringing his claws down across their throats, sending them scattering or dropping to the alley, dead. When he was certain it was safe enough, he knelt down to inspect the girl's wounds.

"Can you walk?" He asked quietly, his voice gentle despite his barbarity moments before. The girl opened her eyes and nodded, staring at her shaking hand that had transformed. "Why do you scurry around down here like a rat in the sewer when you are a god?"

"Don't really feel like one at the moment," She grumbled, wincing as he helped her to her feet. "But thanks. I think."

The man stared down at her, blowing the feathers from his face that dangled from a bandana across his forehead. "It is no longer safe here anymore. Come with me."

A protest was about to sound from the girl's lips, but then she glanced down at the chaos in the alley and thought the better of it. He was either a dangerous man to refuse, or if she was left here, she'd be blamed for all the carnage. She silently fell into step beside him, shoving her mutated hand into her pocket. The purple-haired man gave her a curious look as they retreated quickly in the darkness, heading for the warehouse districts. She caught the blatant stare and blushed.

"If… If I concentrate real hard, it goes away after a while."

"Why should you? Why hide what you are? You are what they call a shifter. A L'cie with the ability to alter one's form. Like me." He paused in his steps and tilted the girl's chin up to meet his eyes with a careful claw. "Those hopeless humans in the alley are not your friend. They are not your equal. You are beyond them. Beyond this."

It was flattering, she had to admit. The first time since all this madness started that she felt something other than shame. "Come," he said, releasing her from his hold and guiding through the streets. "You will come to safety with your brothers and sisters.

The girl looked hopeful for the first time in years. "There are others like me? Other… L'cie?"

"Indeed. While not entirely like you, they are all gods amongst men. Do you have a name?"

"Y-yeah. It's Yun. Oerba Yun."

The man scoffed and shook his head. "That is your human name, child. You need a name fitting of a deity that will rule this world."

"Well what about you? What's your name?"

A slow smile spread across her rescuer's face as the boarding plank lowered onto the dock. "You are Pulsian correct? Do you know the old tongue word for "Armageddon?" Yun nodded with a hard swallow.

"Caius, right?"

"Indeed. Worry not, you will be safe with us and you will find your true name."

The two vanished in the dead of night, to head to the safety of their sanctuary.

* * *

"Come on, you'll be late for class!"

Claire rolled her eyes and scoffed at the notion as she buttoned up her shirt. "The day I'm late is the day the world ends," she muttered to herself, zipping about the room in a flash of white and green while she hummed and got ready for class. She stopped in front of a photo pinned to her wall and smiled, distracting herself for a few moments in her morning routine. Two smiling dorks, as she would say. Mucking about when they were kids on holidays at a camping site. Claire brushed her blonde messy hair and sighed.

All this talk of L'cie emergence, those who harboured genetic mutations were allegedly people to be feared, the powers that manifested dangerous. Claire didn't think so, she never had a problem with running late for school when she was as fast as lightning. She hardly called it dangerous and giggled to herself as she toyed with electricity dancing between her fingertips.

A gasp drew her attention to the doorway, her head snapping around to find her mother standing there with her hands over her mouth. "Claire… You're a L'cie?"

The colour drained from the young pinkette's face as she heard her father coming down the hallway at her mother's words. "What did you just say?" He exclaimed, horrified. His hatred of all things L'cie was obvious from his biting commentary every time they came on the news. He bought into the fearmongering, the hype, and suddenly for the first time Claire felt unsafe. By the time he made it to her room she had already vanished.

She ran, for what felt like hours, finally coming to a stop when she thought it was safe. Panting for breath for the first time in years, Claire hadn't run that far or fast since her awakened abilities. Looking down, she realised she was holding onto something and inhaled sharply with a pang in her chest. She'd grabbed the photo from the wall before she fled the house without even realising she'd done it. The last thing she'd ever carry from her old life. Gods, she didn't even have time to say anything to Serah.

Sliding down against a tree in the middle of a forest, Claire couldn't stop her hands from shaking as she cried. The reality of the situation dawned on her and she sobbed harder. Nowhere to go, she was barely thirteen. What was she going to do? She stood from her spot on the ground and looked around her.

Just pick a direction and run. That was her plan. So that's what she did. Claire ran. For three years she ran. Stole food and supplies, found places to stay that wouldn't draw attention to her, made like lightning streaking across the sky when she was caught. Not that she ever  _was_  caught. She was far too fast for that.

Until the day she wasn't, that was. Claire was happily crunching on an apple she'd "liberated" from the local markets, listening to tunes on her phone that she'd  _also_  "liberated" from an asshole who slammed into her on the subway because she wasn't getting out of his way fast enough. The irony of which she chuckled at silently as she sat on the pier, overlooking the water.

Claire blew the pink hair from in front of her eyes and sighed. She had a friend back home that was into the punk rock aesthetic, and wondered if she would be impressed with what was now her natural colour. The blonde had slowly shifted to this pale pink that turned heads as she passed in the street.

"Nice day for it, don't you think?" A warm, deep voice called out from next to her. Claire yelped and scrambled back, startled.

"What the hell? Where did you come from?" She demanded, eyes darting around looking for any threats. The dark-skinned man smiled and pointed lazily at the sky.

"Can you keep a secret?" He whispered with a wink and pointed behind him. That was when Claire had noticed his… Unique mode of transport.

"Are those  _wings_?" She exclaimed, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. She'd never met another L'cie before, especially not one that looked like he'd come to the pier by way of the temple scriptures.

"Well they sure aren't apples," he replied wryly, gesturing at the half-eaten fruit in her hand. "You come here often?"

Claire's eyes narrowed and she stood, taking a couple of steps back. "I don't know what your angle is here, but I'm not interested." The man's eyebrows raised before he broke out into a fit of raucous laughter.

"Oh. Oh no, you got it all wrong. I'm more just wondering how long you're gonna keep up the whole street-rat routine? Zipping in and out of shops, stealing what you please to get by… It'll catch up to you one day, because some people  _can_  actually see what you're doing."

"Like you?" Claire replied, suddenly feeling cold, and uneasy about the situation she suddenly found herself in. She  _was_  having a good morning, before it all went to hell in a hand basket.

The winged-man chuckled again and nodded. "Exactly like me. Look, out here on your own, it's dangerous. I have a place outside of Nautilus, where people like you can be safe. I give them safe haven, train them on how to hone their abilities. You wouldn't have to steal to survive anymore."

For someone that could probably run across the country in a matter of days, not running anymore sounded pretty damn appealing. But still, she was suspicious, whether this man had altruistic intentions or something more sinister in mind.

As if sensing her apprehension, he bowed slightly as he stood, flexing the wings on his back. "Tell you what. Take this card. It has the address on it, you're free to make your own choice. I ain't in the business of forcing the decision on young minds. You're essentially lightning, kid. No way would anyone be able to catch you if they had ulterior motives. Come check it out, you're free to come when you please, and go if it isn't your thing." He smiled and handed her a small card with an address on it, and then beat his wings to take flight. "Just give us a chance, kid. Give yourself a chance!"

* * *

The sound of Serah's phone vibrating off the bedside table shook her from the nightmare she was having. It was the same one as always, the endless repeat of her waking life. Claire gone with no explanation, her parents in denial about it and refusing to talk on the subject, a half-assed attempt at trying to find her from the authorities and too many unanswered questions to bear.

Serah picked her phone up from the floor with a groan and flicked the screen on with a lazy swipe of her thumb. A text message from a private number sat on her notifications screen and it caused her to sit up suddenly, the movement making her dizzy.

" _Happy birthday, Serah. I am always proud of you. I love you. Xx Claire."_

Ordinarily, these sporadic messages would make her heart leap for joy and give her some modicum of relief that her sister was alive. Today however, only left the taste of bile in the back of her throat, as bitter as she felt. Four years and no sign of Claire, beyond these cryptic messages that were her only link to her sister, any responding texts or demands for her to come home always going unanswered. Serah threw back the covers and got out of bed, throwing her phone on her desk without a second glance as she got ready for school.

Hollow stares met her from eyes framed with permanent dark circles as Serah entered the kitchen. Her mother was hunched over a coffee, wearing that perpetual guilty expression as she made the effort to look sincere when giving her daughter a hug and wishing her a happy birthday. Her father, as always, said little. He rarely spoke since Claire left. It was like her sudden departure sucked all the joy from the house, her family, her life. The reminder made her angry, and her temples began to throb from the tension.

"I'm headed off to school now, did you want to do something when I get home? Like a dinner or something?"

Her mother blinked a few times before she seemed to visibly shake off the fog and gave a slightly more genuine smile. "Of course, sweetie. We'll go to that nice pizza place you like, and then grab some ice cream. How about it?"

If Serah closed her eyes and tuned out the painful memories of her sister's disappearance, her mother's words sounded almost sincere. She clutched at her bag and gave a nod before heading out the door. The headache nipped at the edges of her vision the entire way to school, and grew throughout the first class of the day.

"Hey, Serah? You alright?"

Lifting her head from her hands, Serah gave her friend a once over and smiled gently, flipping her red hair over her shoulder. "Y-yeah. Didn't sleep well last night."

The blonde girl sat down next to her and gave her a hug. "Come on now, Ser-bear! It's your birthday! You're meant to be spoilt and ignore teachers and tell the cute boys to do stuff for you... Or to you..."

"Alyssa!" Serah exclaimed, giving her a shove off the bench. "Don't be crude. I... Don't mean to be a downer, I just... Claire sent me a message this morning and..." She trailed off with a sniff, her friend climbing to her feet and bundling her up in a tight hug.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry, hun. How... Long has it been?"

"Just over four years now. A year since I've heard from her. I... Why won't she just come home? Or tell me why she left?" Serah balled her fists and stood, feeling hot and dizzy. She staggered forward and her friend caught her.

"Hey woah, easy there. Hey you're burning up, Serah. You sure you didn't wake up sick this morning too?"

The bell rung for next class and Serah shook Alyssa off and grabbed her bag. "That'd be all I need to top up this day." She muttered to herself and stormed off to her next class. Serah barely paid any attention, the throbbing behind her eyes travelling down her neck and making everything ache. Maybe she was coming down with a cold. Maybe she could go home and sleep until she forgot about her anger, and the fact that her sister was a coward who abandoned her.

The pain flared and she doubled over in agony at her desk. The teacher stopped writing on the board and turned, seeking out the source of the disruption.

"Uh, Miss? I think Serah needs to go see the nurse she doesn't look crash hot." One of the male students said nervously, eyeing her off. All Serah could hear was a loud ringing in her ears that was increasing in pitch every time she took a breath. Her hands felt like they were on fire and she gasped when they lit up with a ball of bright light emanating from her palms.

"Oh shit she's a L'c-"

The student's words were cut off by an enormous explosion, tearing the roof off the classroom and blowing out the windows.

When the ringing in her ears cleared, Serah stood with a terrified gasp, surveying the damage. Anyone else in the classroom was unconscious or possibly worse, blood everywhere. The fire alarm sounded and the sprinklers started pouring water from the ceiling. Serah stood in the middle of the carnage trying to not collapse from fear.

Staggering over and opening the door to the classroom, she found the hallways in chaos. Screaming students, teachers trying to maintain order while evacuating. Serah slipped in with the crowd and waited until she was clear of the building before she started running.

Bursting through the door to her home, she collapsed in the doorway, breathing heavily. Her lungs burned, her chest was tight and her head throbbed. It affected her vision and she crawled forward enough to kick the door closed.

"Hello? Oh thank the gods you're alright!" Serah heard her mother gasp as she was bundled up in her arms. "I'd just seen the news, your father's on his way home, we were so worried... They say it was a L'cie! In your school! Gods above, what are we going to do? These abominations should be put into camps and kept away!"

The words hit Serah like a punch to the stomach. Would her mother change her tune if she knew... A sinking feeling crept across her awareness, suddenly beginning to suspect why her sister may have vanished. "Mom, what if Claire was a L'cie? What if you saying things like that was what made her run?"

"E-enough of that. Don't say things like that. None of my daughters are those mutant freaks. Now go clean up before your father gets home. He'll want to know you're alright."

Serah nodded mutely, being led up the stairs on shaky legs. She sat on her bed and stared at the wall blankly. It was one thing to try to come to grips with the explosive afternoon at school that she seemed to have inadvertently caused. Another spit in the face was her mother's aggressive words. She was so quick to dismiss the question about Claire. A little too quick.

Her phone rang on her bedside table, startling her from her thoughts. Unknown number. Serah picked it up and answered, her hands trembling.

" _Serah? Are you there?"_

"Claire."

The first time in four years she'd heard her sister's voice. Serah wanted to be mad, but at this point she was just scared.

" _Thank Etro you're alright. I've been so worried. I saw the news."_

"I did it."

There was silence down the other end of the line and for a moment Serah thought the call had disconnected. But she could hear her sister take a shaky breath.

" _Serah... Are you ok?"_

"Why would you care?" Serah snapped, feeling herself heat up again. "This is literally the first time I've heard from you in  _years_! Where have you been? Why did you leave?"

" _You caused the explosion?_ " Serah clenched her jaw and remained silent in spite of the question, her lip trembling. She heard her sister sigh in resignation. " _Then you know why I ran. Let me come get you, I'll take you somewhere safe._ "

"Don't bother." Serah snapped, the phone melting in her hand. She dropped it with a hiss and stared at it burning a hole into the carpet. "Dammit!" The walls shook with her curse, forcing Serah to stop and take a breath. Her parents were Sanctum sympathisers, hated L'cie. And now she was one. A mutant freak, as her father called them. Just like her sister. So now Serah had to follow in her footsteps.

Quickly packing a bag with a few clothes and essentials, she took a sad look around her room and choked on a sob. The last thing she did was open a notebook on her cleaned desk and write the words " _I'm sorry for what I can't control_." With tears trailing down her face, Serah swung her backpack over her shoulder and ran from the house, never looking back.


	2. Chapter 2

The bar was dark and dank, reeking of stale beer and regrettable decisions. Serah passed the time counting the cigarette burns in the table in front of her while she toyed with the ice cubes in her water. The other patrons were keeping to themselves, which suited her just fine.

It had been a few months since Serah's untimely departure from home, by now the news far reaching about the L'cie who had blown the roof off their school, injuring at least fifty students and teachers, some critical but thankfully no deaths. The waitress at the bar had taken pity on her when she started counting out coin for a meal and snuck her a plate another table had sent back that would have otherwise been thrown out. So Serah sat in the dark corner, hiding her hair beneath her hoodie that had since faded to a strange pale pink instead of her natural red. Another side effect of her curse, she supposed.

She finished her meal in silence, pushing the plate away with a gentle nod of thanks to the waitress who gave her a wink in acknowledgement. Mostly silent these days, Serah relied on the kindness of strangers who weren't privy to her more volatile nature, who were willing to donate food or a job that paid cash for the night, or turned a blind eye if she happened to sleep in the doorway of their shopfront on rainy nights.

Serah had travelled north to a place called Nautilus that was all entertainment and nightlife, an easy place to become invisible amongst the revellers looking to make mistakes and memories. Hoping to escape the shame and the fear that had dogged her from Bodhum, Serah escaped into the crowds and just survived. It was not ideal, but anything had to be better than the lynching that awaited her back home. She wasn't prepared to die, but didn't know how to live with the curse.

The slide of denim on leather caught her attention as a drunken lout slithered into the booth next to her with a lecherous grin. "Good evening sweet thing, what're you doin' here on your lonesome?"

"I'm just leaving." Serah replied curtly, shuffling over to the other side of the booth to escape. Just as she stood another of the man's friends sidled up to block her exit and put his hands on her shoulder, pushing her back down in the seat.

"We don't want any trouble, just a good time and you look so lonely over here in the corner." The other man said with a chuckle that held every promise of sinister intent. Serah began to panic because she could feel herself begin to heat up. She  _liked_  this bar. The staff were nice to her and fed her. She didn't want to accidentally blow this one up either. As Serah pushed him away a small flare lit up from her hand and threw the man across the room.

"Holy shit!" His friend exclaimed, leaping out of the booth and staggering on his feet. "Fucking L'cie!"

_Shit._

Serah rolled out of the way of the drunken man's grubby hands that sought to grab her by the neck. With a curse on her lips she scrambled to her feet and ran through the bar, making for the door. Another brute tackled her to the ground and restrained her while she struggled.

"Got one of them L'cie scum! Reckon Sanctum will give us a reward for this one? Let's get a look at her."

" _Let's_  put her down and back away before you wind up with more broken bones than you'd be capable of counting." A rough voice growled from the doorway, startling all of the men that had surrounded Serah. A tall brunette stepped in from the darkness outside, her vivid jade eyes seemingly illuminated on their own.

"Shame to wreck this reputable establishment over a misunderstanding, don't you think?" She drawled, her foreign lilt tickling Serah's ears. The drunk shouted a few choice obscenities at them both and rushed the tall brunette, instantly realising their mistake as the woman pulled her hands from her jacket pockets with sharp claws protruding from her fingertips. She gave a snarl and revealed pointed canines that gave her an overall frightening appearance.

One drunken lout found himself picked up by the wrist and thrown against the wall, followed by an entire table being hoisted up and hurled at him to keep him down. His friend narrowly avoided being disembowelled when the woman's sharp claws slashed at his front, carving up his shirt but leaving his skin intact. It looked as if the movement was intentional, the brunette giving a cheeky wink before giving the man an uppercut that sent him crashing into the floor with his friend.

"Anyone else want to try me?" The woman growled, anyone else in the near vicinity either backing up or ducking behind the booths in the bar. With a sigh she fished a wallet from her back pocket and sauntered over to the counter. "For your trouble tonight, ma'am. Plus damages. Apologies." She said quietly and with as much charm as possible, sliding several hundred gil over the counter.

With a swift motion she turned and moved to the exit, giving Serah a nod with her head to follow. The young pinkette didn't feel any safer with these revellers, especially now that the drunks had outed her as a L'cie. She chased after the tall woman who was meandering slowly through the carpark.

"Hey, wait!"

The brunette turned with a questioning hum, smiling warmly at Serah's approach. "Hey there little one, are you alright?"

"I… Um… Thank you, for saving me."

"Think nothin' of it little Sunshine, if you're anything like the other elementals I've come across I didn't need to save you, just the bar. The less collateral damage the better. Damn, where are my manners." The woman held out her hand in greeting before staring at the blue skin of her palm. "Oh right. Hang on." The claws retracted back into smoother looking fingertips, her skin returning to normal, though her other hand still remained somewhat beastial. "Fang's the name. Nice to meet you on this fine evening."

"Oh, y-yes. My name is Serah. Serah F-"

"No need to tell me your full name sweetheart, Serah is just fine. The less we all know about our pasts the better. If anyone gets captured by Sanctum, we don't want anyone else we know getting caught in the crossfire through their need to purge the evidence."

Fang walked over to a beaten-down truck and gave Serah a quick once over with a quirk of her eyebrow. "You got somewhere to go? Safe?"

Serah glanced back at the bar with a sigh. "That was my safe place." She said with a downcast expression. The waitress there let her stay out the back in the storage room and kept her fed. Not anymore, she gathered. She'd have to keep moving now, out of Nautilus and then… Somewhere? Possibly up to Luxerion, or off continent altogether if she could smuggle herself onto a trade ship…

Startled from her thoughts when the brunette's arm slipped around her shoulder, Serah glanced up at the concerned jade eyes staring at her. "Hey, if you like you can come with me? If you've got nowhere to go, I got room in my truck for two. I was headed home, myself. Doesn't feel right leavin' you to the wolves of Nautilus, after all."

It was a tempting offer. But Serah didn't know Fang from any other stranger in the city, and possibly getting in a truck with her was just as dangerous as staying in the bar. Fang seemed to sense the trepidation and took a few steps back to give the pinkette space.

"It's up to you sweetheart, I won't force you to make a decision you ain't comfortable with. I will at least keep you safe, fed and give you a place to sleep so you ain't gotta deal with the bitter cold on the streets."

With a nod Serah stepped back in close, allowing herself to be led over to the truck and settled in. Fang gently closed the door before sliding over the hood of the car and slipping into the driver's seat with a grin. She kicked over the engine and roared the engine, driving out of the car park and onto the main road to put some distance between them and the bar as soon as possible.

Serah remained silent for a while, unused to hearing her own voice after so long staying quiet while on the run. She hadn't met another like her before. And this woman was an unknown entity yet one that showed kindness. Serah felt that she needed to at least get to know her rescuer and cleared her throat to speak. "S-so you're a L'cie as well?" She asked timidly.

"What was your first clue?" Fang drawled sarcastically, though feeling a little guilty for her comments with the way the young girl flinched. She flexed the claws on her right hand and tapped them along the steering wheel. "Sorry. Long night. Yes. I'm a L'cie, just like you. A shifter, as they call it. Now what about you? What are you doing out here on your own? You're obviously a little green if you're travelling alone and without protection… Let alone a firm grasp on your abilities. How long you been… You know… Out?"

Serah remained silent for a moment, staring at her hands as her memories took her to the destruction she'd unwittingly wrought on her school in Bodhum. "Um… Not long. Couple of months." The two settled back into silence before Serah's curiousity got the better of her. She tried not to stare at the blue hand that gripped the wheel, claws always primed to fight. "Fang, why did you… Save me?"

The brunette raised an eyebrow without taking her attention from the road. She let out a sigh and shook her head. "Eh. You remind me of my sister, and other remnants from my past. I couldn't… Couldn't leave you to those louts." Fang paused, pushing the painful memories of her sister's pained screaming from her mind and focused on the road ahead. "Plus, you know. I've been alone out here when just discovering my abilities. It fuckin' sucks. You wind up with bad crowds." Fang replied, shrugging her jacket off her shoulders and placing it behind her seat. With a little concentration the blue arm slowly faded to her normal skin tone, claws retracting into human-looking nails.

"See? I can pass as a boring human when the situation calls for it. I prefer ol' blue out, at least one of them anyway. Keeps idiots from gettin' fresh. Makes me feel stronger. Untouchable." The exposure revealed a mottling of scars along her arms, perhaps evidence as to why she was always up for a fight.

The soft blow of the car's heater brushed Serah's hair around her face. She leant forward and warmed herself on dash, giving a grateful smile to her rescuer. "Where are we headed?" She asked, curious as to their destination. Fang tapped her fingers against the wheel and smiled.

"Somewhere safe, little one. People like you and me. Our brothers and sisters. Your new home, if you'll have us. Hey, how's about you get some sleep? I'll wake you when we're at the docks."

* * *

The truck pulled up at an old warehouse in the early hours of the morning. Grey, dim light crept through the various shipping crates and run down facilities, casting everything in an eerie dawn glow. Serah rubbed at her eyes and sat up in the passenger seat with a yawn, wondering how long she'd been out for. She shivered at the cold morning air, wishing she had thought to bring a warmer jacket with her when she ran from home.

A heavy leather coat was suddenly draped over her shoulders, lined with wool and warm enough to chase the bitter winter air away. Serah glanced up to find Fang giving her an easy smile as she picked up a backpack from the tray of the truck. "You looked like you needed it more than I do right now, little one. Come on, there's a boat over here we can take to Valhalla."

"How mythical." Serah muttered under her breath, startled when she caught Fang's wry chuckle. She hadn't meant for the brunette to hear her.

"I guess it is," Fang mused as she leapt down into the boat and effortlessly grabbed Serah, lifting her down with her. "Caius likes to refer to us as gods amongst men and all that ego stroking stuff so, seems fitting he name it for the place of the gods."

If Serah was at all religious, she would be worried about how they were very likely tempting the wrath of the gods themselves to name a place after their immortal home but... She supposed she could find a kinship with the symbolism. Once Fang had untied the rope from the docks, she settled in for the quiet drive on the water, the only sound breaking the dawn's silence being the low grumble of the boat's motor.

It didn't take long to reach an island off the coast of Nautilus, the land mass looming up through the morning fog. It appeared to be a defunct power plant, possibly nuclear in design from the looks of the broken towers. A fleeting thought crossed Serah's mind about possible radiation contamination but it gave way to curiousity as to what kind of "home of the gods" she was about to enter.

Fang gave her a little encouraging hug around her shoulder as they pulled up to a dilapidated dock. "The outside looks like a shithole, I know. We keep it that way to deter folks from getting too close. We had a L'cie on deck here that could absorb radiation and so any active materials we found are long since dead. So we don't get anyone out here aside from the occasional urban explorer, and they're sent on their way pretty bloody quick."

Serah didn't miss the past tense and couldn't help but wonder if it was because the individual left of their own free will or something far more sinister. She remained silent about it, but worry started the edge in on her awareness. Fang seemed to pick up on her mood and brought her in close.

"Hey, come on sweetheart. I won't let anythin' bad happen to you. These are all friends here. They're your family now. We've all gone through the same struggles, and won't let you go it alone anymore. But if you don't feel comfortable here, I can take you back to shore and to the nearest transport, wherever you want to go, ok?"

While the concept of the offer was chivalrous and kind in theory, in execution Serah found herself not wanting to leave the Pulsian's side. Fang was the first kind person she'd come across in months. Until that point, she had been mostly silent while on the road, aside from a few uttered sentences, Serah had sorely missed just the simple pleasures of conversing with another human being. Or, L'cie, she supposed.

Fang stepped forward and pulled some vines out of the way of a rusted door. She knocked thrice and waited, humming a tune softly to herself with an air of impatience. A slot hissed open, metal screeching on metal and a tall man with an imposing stare peered out.

"What's the password?" He stated, his voice low and threatening. Fang scoffed and rolled her eyes, leaning back on her feet.

"How's about… Fuck off and let me in already because it's cold out here?"

An agonised sigh came from behind the door as the eyeholes slid shut. The door creaked open and a tall man with fire-red hair stood there looking exasperated. "Fang, what's the point of all the secrecy and passwords and shit if you aren't going to at bare minimum humour me?"

Serah couldn't stifle the giggle at their antics, and the man turned his eyes on her. He snapped his fingers and flame spurted from the tips of them, better illuminating the dark hallway. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your cute new friend?" He asked with a wink at the pinkette's expense. Fang slapped him on the arm and pushed him to get moving into the compound.

"This is Serah, though Caius won't have a bar of that name for long. Serah, this is Ifrit."

The tall, built man leant down and delicately shook her hand with his free one that wasn't currently on fire. "Call me Gadot, if you prefer. Caius likes his  _God-names_  a little too much."

"God… Names?" Serah enquired, starting to find the earlier pondered symbolism to be a bit… Over the top. Gadot sighed and twirled the fire in his palm as they walked down the passage. Fang kicked at his heels and growled. She turned to Serah and gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"Caius believes that the names we were given need to be cast off when we awaken as L'cie. They aren't a testament to our true powers or potential." Fang explained, her voice rich and empowering as it bounced off the narrow hallway. "It's a facet of one's old life. Look Caius tells it a lot better than I do. And unlike  _Ifrit_ here, I don't have any name other than Fang, so don't ask."

"You um… Cast it off, right?"

"You got it, kid."

The passage opened up into a large expansive room, possibly once a main storage hall in another time. There were a handful of other L'cie scattered about the place, some lounging on run down couches, another sitting in a corner reading a book, a few sitting in front of a television playing games on a console. Serah found it all so disarmingly  _normal_. She didn't know what she was expecting, but it certainly wasn't this… Well, it appeared to be nothing more than a teenage hangout.

Fang's eyes lit up as she saw an imposing man leaning on the railing a few floors above, watching them with interest. She nudged her friend and nodded towards the walkway. "Hey, can you just wait here with Serah for a minute? I need to go check in."

Before Serah could register, the brunette loped off and leapt up from the ground floor to the next walkway many metres in the air, hoisting herself over in an effortless swing of her legs. Fang approached the man with a respectful bow, and was met with a quirk of a dark purple eyebrow.

"So, the prodigal sister returns. How fared the hunt?" Caius asked, sounding bored. He brushed the feathers from his face and eyed the pinkette on the floor below them. "I see you have found another sister for our home."

Fang nodded eagerly, giving Serah an encouraging wave from her spot by Caius' side. "Picked her up on the outskirts of Nautilus. Runaway, like the rest of us. She was being attacked by humans and I got her out of there." She explained. Caius leapt over the railing, landing hard on the ground below. His appearance silenced the others in the room, and they all turned to see what had gotten their leader's interest.

Serah swallowed hard and took a step back, only to find herself held by a gentle hand of Gadot. Fang landed more nimbly and quietly behind Caius, and jogged over to Serah's side.

"So, you have seen the nature of human kind, when they spurn you for the gall of being alive." Caius growled, claws extending from his fingertips in a much more savage way than what Serah had seen from Fang. A smile crossed the purple-haired man's face that had the outward appearances of warmth, but it never met his eyes. "Do you have a name, child?"

"It's… Serah."

He hummed, seeing Fang visibly wince. "A human name. You will find your own soon enough. You are a goddess amongst men, little sister. Take your power and revel in it. This is our time now. We won't let you come to harm from the foolish humans. Welcome home,  _Serah_."

There were a few cheers from around them as the other L'cie approached to meet their new family member. They surrounded Serah and chattered eagerly, the pinkette feeling overwhelmed after months of next to no contact with people. She felt herself stepping back slowly and bumped into Fang.

"Alright alright, scat the lot of you. We've been travelling all night and I am going to go find her a bed. Any spare rooms?"

A dark-haired woman jerked a thumb in the direction of another hallway and smiled warmly at Serah. "There's a couple of rooms free, down that way."

"Cheers," Fang replied, leading Serah in the direction of sleep. They entered a small room with a cot and a lamp and Fang scratched at her head nervously. "Eh, look. It's not the ritzy hotels in Nautilus but… Its home enough." She drawled with a lop-sided grin. Fang was startled by the young girl launching herself into her arms, squeezing tight. "Hey, it's ok darlin'. You got nothin' to worry about here. Caius is a surly prick at the best of times but he means well. The rest are far more laid back, I assure you." She ruffled Serah's hair and helped her into bed.

Fang couldn't help but hover at the doorway as Serah settled in for sleep, keeping a watchful eye over her before finally satisfied that she was sleeping soundly once the girl's breathing had evened out. She sauntered back out to the hall and made straight for the best up fridge, pulling a much needed beer from its contents.

"What a fuckin' week." She sighed, crashing on the couch next to her fire-haired friend. "Is the Seeress about? Gotta thank her on that tip for rescuing that kid."

Gadot eyeballed her and shook his head. "Nah, she's gone on one of her vision quests again. Won't be back for a month at least. So what's this newbie's deal? She a shifter? Kinetic? Elemental? Oh please tell me she's another elemental."

"No idea," Fang replied with a thoughtful hum. "Haven't seen a peep of her abilities, but we will probably find out s-"

An explosion rattled the hall and the shockwave sent them both crashing to the ground. "The hell was that? Sanctum?" Gadot exclaimed, quickly getting to his feet and setting himself alight with his abilities. Fang snarled and leapt to her feet, her claws elongating from her fingertips and skin shifting to a shade of dark blue. Caius stormed into the hall with a savage look on his face, ready for battle with whatever forces encroached on their home.

"It came from down that hall." He stated bluntly, and stalked towards the doorway. Fang's jaw dropped and she inhaled sharply.

"Gods, Serah!"

Fang shot forward, speeding past him to get to Serah's room, the door blown clear off the hinges. Bursting into the room with a roar, it died in her throat when she saw Serah bundled in the corner of the now charred and blackened room, shaking like a leaf. "Serah!" She cried out, racing over and bundling the pinkette in her arms, careful not to cut her with her sharp claws.

"I'm s-sorry, Fang.. I didn't mean to... I was having a nightmare and.."

"Wait,  _you_  did this?"

Serah nodded, sobbing into the Pulsian's chest. Caius placed a hand on Fang's shoulder and drew her gaze up. "Come on, man. It isn't her fault." She warned, receiving only a smile in response. Caius knelt and carefully drew Serah's face around by the jaw.

"Do not shed tears for what you are. It is a far greater crime for you to feel shame over your power than blowing up bricks and mortar."

Any protest or apology died in Serah's throat as she took in his words. "You're... You're not mad?" She asked, trembling. Fang brushed the hair from Serah's eyes with a soft smile, her features slowly shifting back to normal now that the threat had passed.

"Of course not, sweetie," she cooed, rubbing gentle circles on Serah's back to calm her. "Everyone struggles with their abilities at first. We've all had a raft of problems adjusting. Come on, you can come crash in my room tonight but... No blowing it up, alright?"

Serah nodded diligently, allowing herself to be carried out of the ruined room. She caught what appeared to be a genuine smile on Caius' face and looked away.

"Worry not, little sister. Rest, and when you have eaten tomorrow we will look at your abilities in greater depth, and help you figure out how to unlock them."

That night Serah returned to sleep while safe in Fang's arms, just like her sister used to hold her when she was little. If she closed her eyes she could imagine that it was Claire holding her, whispering assurances in her ear, stroking her hair gently. Just as much that if Fang closed her eyes, she could imagine it was her own sister she was comforting instead of this young girl who had unexpectedly fallen into her life, and reminded her of home.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look, it's another chapter- and yes, I promise you this isn't a typo, it is a FLight story, and Lightning is going to make her first appearance in this chapter...

Fang came and went over the following months, simply stating that she needed to hunt and not willing to elaborate. She's looking for something, or maybe someone, Serah figures, she isn't certain. What she is certain about is that when the Pulsian is gone, she feels more anxious, like there is a blade swinging over her head. A blade that is held by Caius, who watches her training with growing interest, but never speaks on her progress.

Working with the other elementals proves to be a good distraction while Fang is away. She is only gone for a week or so at a time, but always checks in when she can, and always makes a beeline for Serah when she returns, sweeping her off her feet in a crushing hug. The two seemed to have formed an attachment to one another, a sisterly bond that Fang didn't seem to share with anyone else. It made it harder every time the Pulsian had to leave.

"Fang? Can I... Can I come with you?" Serah asked one day, wrapping her arms around Fang's elbow in the way she used to do to her own sister when she wanted something. She hoped the manoeuvre was universal. "I've been practicing a lot, and I've been cooped up here for ages. I miss civilisation."

With a hum and a purse of her lips, Fang sighed. It was getting harder to say no to this eerily reminiscent girl who had taken the place of a surrogate sister in her life. "I dunno. Caius? Would it be alright if I took her with me?"

The tall man had been carving a block of wood with his claws and shrugged. "Do what you will,  _Serah_. This is not a prison. Take the dog and leave."

"... Thank you, Caius." Serah offered with a smile, in the hopes that she could unlock the mystery of his stoic, hard demeanour. Her efforts would be fruitless, with the man continuing his carving without a second glance. Fang narrowed her eyes at the comment and suppressed a growl. She nudged her and wrapped an arm around Serah's shoulder.

"Come on then, little one. Let's make tracks and cause some mayhem." Fang cheered, leading her from the hall. They passed Ifrit and Siren, the dark-haired woman giving them a sultry smirk.

"Try not to wind up on the evening news, darlings." She purred, her voice causing shivers down both Fang and Serah's spines.

"Alright alright, enough of that 'Breau." Fang warned as she shook the L'cie's voice from her mind. Siren, or Lebreau as she preferred to be called whenever Caius was out of earshot, was a Basilisk. The type of L'cie that had the ability to mesmerise, entrance and ultimately control. Coupled with the fact that Lebreau was a shameless flirt, a dangerous combination by far. Siren just grinned and waved, dancing her fingers in the air with as much cheek as she could muster.

"What was with the dog comment, earlier?" Serah asked once they were alone in the corridor. Fang sighed and kept walking, her jaw tightening in annoyance.

"It's nothing. Caius just... Likes to be a dick and make a few passin' comments about my abilities. Reminds me that it's hard to control them at times."

"That's not very nice of him."

Fang shrugged and waved dismissively. "Eh, I'm used to it so don't you worry your pretty little head about it."

Telling Serah not to worry and her actually following through on that request were two different things. It wasn't the first time she had heard Caius make remarks like that, often referring to Fang as a dog or a beast. The Pulsian would often shrug it off as just "shifters being shifters" and that it was harmless, but Serah wouldn't be dissuaded. She saw the visible flinch, the slump of shoulders or the downcast expression every time he reminded Fang of her abilities in such a cruel manner. She pushed it from her mind for the time being, wanting to focus on her friend in the present.

When Fang and Serah reached the docks, the pinkette started to get giddy. She missed the city, and the bustle and oh gods, the coffee. Fang smiled and pulled Serah close, chuckling at her antics.

"Bit excited are we?" she joked, helping her into the boat and not wasting any time to speed off to the mainland. Fang sighed with relief at the sight of her beloved truck, jumping in and kicking over the engine. It was the first thing she'd managed to fix up from a scrap heap to a... Well, a moving scrap heap anyway. It was a beat up, run down looking thing, but she loved it regardless.

"So what are you headed into the city for? What have you been doing when you leave Valhalla anyway?"

Fang looked a little uneasy and shifted around in her seat as she drove. "This and that. Just putting a few feelers out, errands for Caius, that kinda thing. Boring stuff. Gotta meet one of our brothers today, then maybe we can go grab a coffee, yeah? Anything you want to do?"

There was so much. Serah thought back to every other trip to the city, shopping, movies with friends, all the things she did when she had an after school job and money. And a life. And friends. She sighed and slumped in her seat. "I dunno, Fang. Whatever works for you."

A frown crossed Fang's face as she studied the young pinkette out of the corner of her eye. "Hm. Guess I'll just have to treat you to a day out then. Tell me, what did you want to do after you finish school?"

A simple question at heart but one that carried the weight of so many broken dreams given what Serah had become. She sniffed and looked out the window, feeling despondent. "A teacher. I wanted to educate."

" _More_  school?" Fang teased, determined to crack the sadness that had descended upon the young girl she had become so protective of. "Alright then. So let me sort out my business, then I'm gonna take you to the library, then the museum, maybe an art gallery if we got the time. Any movies you wanna see?"

Serah blushed, not used to being so fawned over. "You don't have to do that, Fang."

"Pfft, I'm hardly putting myself out if it means I get to see that adorable smile, little Sunshine. Look, Caius makes a lot of points about us being the superior species but... I  _really_ like the trash TV the humans make. And burgers. Oh and coffee. That's pretty great too. It's important that we don't get all caught up in the  _great struggle_  bullshit. If all we do if hide in the bunker planning for the end of the world, it'll arrive and we'll have done fuck all with our lives. So yeah, I'm gonna take you out today and you're gonna bloody enjoy it, got it?"

A smile warmed Serah's face and she looked away, cheeks still red. Fang nudged her gently on the shoulder with her fist and made an approving noise in her throat. "That's much better. Now lemme park this rust bucket and we'll have the day to ourselves shortly."

Fang pulled into the city transport station and escorted Serah over to the ticket station. Once they were safely on the transport, they both relaxed into easy conversation talking about books, life, amusing stories, whatever they could. At the back of Fang's mind she was reminded of her sister, just as much as Serah was reminded of her own. They got off their stop in the city and headed to the rendezvous point to find it empty. Fang frowned and looked around, sniffing at the air.

"Hmmm. Guess we've had a relocation. Wonder why. Come on, little one. Let's see what we can suss out."

Following the trail down the path, she caught another scent on the wind and growled. Serah heard the sound and instantly pressed closer, letting Fang wrap an arm around her. "We're alright. Just think our friend was spooked by the Haven. Here we are."

There was a patch of darkness against the building that seemed far deeper than it should have been, and it unsettled the pinkette. Serah fidgeted nervously and Fang gave her a reassuring squeeze. "Come on, mate. You're scarin' the kid."

The shadows morphed and obtained human shape, stepping away from the wall and dropping away to reveal a dark-haired young man, no older than Serah. He looked like he had a permanently fixed smug grin on his face and seemed like the type that wouldn't shy away from a fight. "Fang, good to see you, who's your friend?"

"This is Serah. Serah, this is Shadow."

"Serah isn't a very  _god-like_ name, is It?" he quipped, shaking her hand in greeting. The pinkette wouldn't falter and grinned back, keeping her grip on his wrist strong.

"Shadow isn't a very original name, is it?" She retorted, not giving any ground. The man laughed and let go of her arm, turning to clap Fang on the back.

"Ouch. I like her, but she's obviously been hanging around you too much. Serah, you can call me Noel if you prefer. Caius and Fang are the only ones that go by that whole formality bullshit."

"Up yours, Kriess." Fang sighed, reaching into her jacket and pulling out an envelope to hand to him. "Payment, along with your marching orders, kiddo. Boss wants everyone back to base for some big meeting. Two days from now."

Noel rolled his eyes and shook his head in annoyance. "I was enjoying my time in the sun. Back to the burrows with me then! Catch ya back home, Fang- and watch out, Haven have been about in the city today. Nice to meet you, Serah." With his farewell he stepped into the shadows of the wall and vanished. Fang smiled and linked arms with the young pinkette, leading her down the path to the museum. All the while the hairs on the back of her neck prickled and she tensed, catching the vaguest of scents on the wind that kept her hackles up throughout the day.

The feeling dogged her all afternoon, while she had lunch with Serah, watched her talk enthusiastically about art and history at the museum, and as they lazed about in the early evening at a cafe. Serah noticed the tense mood and tilted her head in curiousity. "What's wrong, Fang? You seem a little... distracted."

"Hm? Oh. Sorry, little one. Just a naggin' feeling that we have company. Probably just me being a paranoid idiot. Should be enjoying your delightful company instead of worryin' about all this L'cie business." Fang said with a smile. She was suddenly knocked forward by a business man pushing past the table with a takeaway coffee in hand.

"The only good L'cie is a dead L'cie, they should just crawl into a hole and be buried for good." He snapped, barging past with a sneer. He assumed that he was talking with like-minded people. He assumed wrong.

Serah suddenly realised how sheltered she had been with the others in Valhalla. Aside from the altercation that introduced her to Fang, she had yet to really come across such aggression from a human. His words made her sick to her stomach and suddenly fearful of her surroundings. An involuntary growl escaped Fang's throat and her eyes narrowed at the rude businessman. Her gaze travelled to Serah, who was shaking with anger and hurt.

Serah felt Fang's strong arms wrap protectively over her shoulders and she felt immediately safer with the tall Pulsian, pushing back into the embrace. "Easy, little Sunshine. The humans are quick to fear, quicker to anger. I won't be the first one to strike and give them more reason to hate us. But..." Fang paused, a mischievous grin appearing across her face as she nodded towards the man who had been so rude towards them earlier. "Nothin' wrong with teaching this uppity prick a lesson, right? Come on. Show me what you've been working on."

A sharp inhale caught in Serah's throat and she pressed back into Fang's arms nervously. "I... I don't know, Fang. I'm worried I might... you know."

"You won't blow his head off, sweetheart. You elementals are all the same. Gotta be visual. Just focus on something small. In your mind, nothing bigger than say... a golf ball. So visualise that tiny golf ball dropping into that arsehole's coffee cup and... let go."

Serah concentrated, safe in the knowledge that Fang would protect her if anything went wrong. The brunette had faith in her abilities and wouldn't lead her astray. She focused and felt that push and pull in her mind as the energy built and honed it on the man's coffee cup. It suddenly exploded in his hand, sending coffee everywhere and drenching his immaculate business suit.

Fang barked out rich laughter, and leant back with a squeeze of Serah's shoulders. "Very good, little one! You're a quick study." She said, ruffling the pink hair. Serah beamed under the praise and giggled as she felt herself dragged out of her seat by Fang and they both took off from the cafe before they could attract any attention.

It was freeing, Serah found. She didn't fear her abilities as much when Fang was around. She was like the big protective sister that Claire should have been, instead of disappearing. Serah's mood dropped as she was tugged along, and Fang felt the shift in demeanour.

"What's wrong, little one?" Fang asked, pulling her around a corner and bundling her up in her arms. Serah sniffed and looked away, refusing to lose any further grip on her emotions.

"S-sorry. I don't mean to get all sad and ruin the mood. I just... You've been really kind, and nice to me and... It just reminds me of how I used to be with my sister. I feel selfish and terrible that I hate her for disappearing."

A long sigh exited Fang's lips and she squeezed Serah tightly. "I... Would be a hypocrite if I ever faulted your sister for running. If you're a L'cie, I'd hazard a guess that genetically speaking there's a good chance she ran because of the same thing. It's what I did. I left my little sister behind too."

With a stifled gasp Serah stood back and held onto Fang's hands, careful to avoid cutting herself on the claws that were poking out from the tips of her fingers. "First time my powers awakened I... Lost control. Hurt her real bad. I was so scared that I couldn't stop the rage, not stop the change. That I could kill her. So I ran. It was safer that way. You look at me like I'm the big sister that took off, in a way I guess she and I have a lot more in common than you'd think. You might hate her for leavin' but... If she cared about you at all that may be why she ran, to protect you. I don't know where my sister is these days, my family moved out of town with no forwarding address. I don't even know if she... Survived..."

Fang's voice wavered on the last word and Serah pressed back in, offering what comfort she could. She understood now why the Pulsian was so protective of her. Making up for her past transgressions. Serah suddenly felt Fang stiffen in her arms and looked up at her with a puzzled expression. "Fang? Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Yeah I'm fine. But we gotta go." Fang said firmly, moving down the path again, towards the central transport station with a fast pace. Serah struggled to keep up and saw Fang flinch at the flash of lightning across the sky.

"Don't tell me you're afraid of storms?" Serah teased lightly, getting a stern glare in response.

"Lightning makes me edgy after a bad run in with one of those Haven arseholes a while back. I thought I caught the scent of one of them earlier. I think we're bein' followed."

Serah suddenly didn't feel like joking around anymore. Her own pace quickened and she allowed Fang to lead her through the city crowds to the transport hub. When they were safely on the bus, Fang pulled Serah into a seat beside her, pulling the hoodie over the young girl's head to hide her hair. She threw a protective arm around the pinkette, daring anyone to try to come near with a low growl in her throat.

"Fang, what is the Haven? I've heard Caius speak on it before but... I'd rather hear it from you." Serah probed gently once the transport was in motion and out of the terminal. Fang glanced down at her and made a sour face.

"They're..." She struggled to find the words and huffed in annoyance. "They're the poster children of the peaceful L'cie movement, essentially. Their leader, Sazh, believes that we're all capable of living together and that humans and us freaks can all get along in harmony. His lot go out and spread the good word of how we aren't dangerous, we're just misunderstood. And with the correct training and support we can ensure that L'cie of all creeds can integrate with society at large."

It didn't sound so bad, on a surface level. As far as Serah was concerned, it sounded all pretty good. "I sense you're not exactly on board with that line of thinking."

Another pronounced huff sounded from next to her, and Serah caught the edges of a low rumble in the base of Fang's throat. She settled in closer, resting her head on the brunettes shoulder. Fang seemingly calmed under the attention and shrugged. "I mean I don't see anything wrong with their philosophy, in a perfect world it would be great if we all could live side by side without killing and torturing each other."

"But we don't live in a perfect world, do we?" Serah concluded.

"Exactly. Its naivety at best, dangerous thinking that'll get us killed at worst. I've already seen what human fear does to people like us. A showy educational program from a bunch of good looking, wholesome L'cie isn't going to stop the purists from hanging us from tree branches because we're different."

Fang squeezed Serah around the shoulders and hummed in thought. The pinkette frowned and fidgeted with the zipper on her jumper. "But Caius isn't exactly holding the better answer either," Serah countered gently, bringing Fang's gaze down to meet her own. "His ideology is just as purist as the humans that want us dead. He just wants L'cie to be the only ones standing when the smoke clears."

In reality, Fang had to concede the point. Caius was fiercely protective of his brothers and sisters, his kind. But it was often a protection that came at the cost of human lives. She remembers back to their first encounter, him brutally severing the homeless attackers' throats in retaliation for what they were doing to her. She didn't feel pity for their deaths, but it always left the idle thought in her mind that maybe Caius was more severe in his ideologies than she wanted to admit.

"Still, it's hard to pick who is right at the end of the day. Sazh has his points about us needing to find ground to co-exist, but the Haven are sheltered away in a fancy arse mansion while the rest of our kind bleeds on the streets. Caius on the other hand, wants justice for our kind but it will be at the expense of lives on both sides. Escalation and retaliation never lead to good outcomes."

Serah huddled closer and took a shaky breath. "Caius scares me. He looks at me like I'm a weapon he can use. I know you owe him your life, Fang. But I worry that he sees my abilities and wants to unleash them on the populous, like I'm the answer to his problems."

As much as she didn't want to believe it, to dismiss it as the paranoia of a scared young girl, Fang couldn't. She'd seen the way he looked at her too. Like Serah was another piece of the puzzle, another tool in his war against the humans. Like they all were. She held onto Serah tightly, kissing the top of her head gently. "Don't worry little one. I won't let anything bad happen to ya. If Caius turns out to be a raucous genocidal maniac, we'll jump in my truck and drive. Ok? Listen, it'll be about an hour or so before we hit up the docks. May as well get a bit of shut eye. I'll keep watch."

With a nod and a yawn Serah settled in and fell asleep against Fang's shoulder. The brunette felt a pang of longing in her chest as the young girl's breathing settled, and she sighed. She missed her sister terribly, and Serah being a constant reminder didn't help matters. Fang found she wouldn't even know where to begin looking for her, and settled for staring at the passing highway from the transport window.

Back at the terminal, a lean figure with a hoodie drawn up over her head seethed as she watched the transport depart. A warning hand was placed on her shoulder from a tall blonde man who moved up beside her.

"Easy there. You're gonna shatter the windows of this building from the storm you're calling in."

The woman he held onto whirled and pushed him back, the hoodie falling back from her head and revealing pale pink hair framing a stern face with furious electric blue eyes. "That's my  _sister_ , Snow. Currently in the arms of those  _terrorists._  Don't tell me to take it easy." She snapped, electricity starting to spark at her fingertips.

Snow sighed and stared at the retreating transport, tapping a small device on his wrist. "Hex? We're gonna need an extraction before Lightning blows the roof off the station here."

" _Got it, Diabolos is on his way. Stand still and don't move_."

The duo disappeared from the terminal in a puff of smoke, leaving a few startled passengers in their wake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... But you're probably not going to like me any better for it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeeeah here's another update and YOU'RE WELCOME.

It was about the six month mark when Fang burst into Serah's room in a panic, sighing with relief when she saw the pinkette propped up on her bed, reading a book.

"Hey Fang, what's up?" Serah asked warmly, placing a bookmark on her page and sitting up. Fang paced around the room for a few moments before huffing and flopping down on the bed next to her, hugging her tightly. "Woah hey, it's good to see you too but what's with the death grip?"

"Sorry I... I just...Serah, you do any drama club in school? Acting and the like?" Fang asked, the nervousness in her voice obvious. Serah shrugged and wavered her hand in the air.

"A little, I mean we had to at least try it out for the curriculum at least. Why?"

Fang took a deep breath and held it, then exhaled. She gripped Serah by the shoulders firmly and squeezed. "Because I need you to agree with what Caius and I are about to ask of you, no matter how much you think we've lost the plot. Then I'm going to get you out of here the first opportunity I get. I don't have time to explain but I need you to go along with it and you need to trust me."

It felt like someone had dropped a lead weight into Serah's stomach and she swallowed hard. She didn't like where this was going. All she could do was nod and allow herself to be led to the hall. Her steps echoed roughly in her ears, and she found herself pressing close to Fang once more for comfort. The tension she could feel beneath Fang's jacket was noticeable, the corded muscle feeling closer to concrete.

"I won't let anything bad happen to you, Serah. You have my word on that. I will protect you." Fang whispered as she opened the door and walked her over to the others. She had adapted a more casual saunter from the moment she opened the door and gave the others a lazy salute. Caius ushered them over and they stood before him as he straightened his spine and placed his hands behind him.

"Serah, I have watched your progress with interest, and pride. You have certainly come a long way from the timid, frightened child that entered through these very doors to Valhalla almost a year ago. But you have yet to take a name for yourself. Why?"

There were plenty of reasons, most of which consisted of her disagreeing with him to an atomic level over his ideologies, his coldness, his brutal nature that lurked skin deep. She remembered Fang's earlier warnings and smiled shyly. "I guess I haven't been ready to… Let go of my humanity just yet. But… I think that I am. You've all been showing me the way to my true self and I feel stronger, like I can take on the world and win."

Caius smiled, seemingly pleased with the answer. "So have you found a name for yourself yet?" Serah held her palm out and allowed a small flare to form in her hand, toying with the energy between her fingers.

"Blazefire."

"Awww yeah. I'm down with that." Came a holler from the fire elemental behind them, and Serah couldn't help but give a genuine laugh. Lebreau nudged him in the ribs and hissed at him to shut up.

"Indeed, we shall invoke your name, for you are the spark that will ignite our vengeance upon the world. Blazefire, a title fitting for a warrior goddess." The others cheered and applauded and rushed over to pat her on the back. Caius waited patiently until the others had stepped back before continuing.

"Do you commit yourself to Valhalla, and your kin, to fight for L'cie and end the tyranny of human filth, no matter the cost?"

Serah glanced over his shoulder at Fang who nodded slowly, not drawing attention to anyone around her. "I do. I commit myself to my brothers and sisters, to fight for what's right. To fight for them."

The smile was broad yet sinister, and she saw him twitch his fingers at Lebreau, who bowed her head and stood away, sitting back down on a nearby couch. Serah's breath caught in her throat at the realisation that whatever she was about to be asked to do, if Fang hadn't have warned her prior she doubted she would have had a choice in the matter. Not if the Basilisk was on beck and call from Caius.

"We are going to use your powers to show the world who rules. Who is the superior race. And we're going to start with destroying the Sanctum."

Calling forth any semblance of measure and control she could find from within her, Serah bowed slightly and raised with a menacing smile. "As you wish, Caius. Whatever is needed to free our brothers and sisters from the tyranny of humans."

With a satisfied nod, Caius turned and left, leaving the others chattering around Serah as she locked eyes with Fang. The voices of the other L'cie died away as she took a deep breath and fought down the urge to explode.

Fang would find Serah again much later in the evening, hiding in her own quarters. As soon as Fang had closed the door to her room the pinkette was on her, shoving her up against the wall. "What the hell was that, Fang? He wants me to blow up the Sanctum?" She practically shrieked.

"Hey, keep your voice down, dammit!" Fang hissed, clamping her hand over Serah's mouth in a panic. "I know. Alright? I know. You were right, he is looking to use you as a weapon. But I need you to keep your head about you because the last thing we need is either this place blowing up because you couldn't keep your lid on, OR Lebreau sucking any free will from your mind and you following through with the plan whether you like it or not."

The very idea caused Serah to pale, and she clutched at Fang's jacket with a choked sob. "I'm scared." She whispered, feeling Fang bundle her up in her strong arms.

"Hey, it's alright, little one. I just need you to be brave, and be strong, and just play out this little theatrical number a little longer. If you're compliant and look like you're into the plan, he won't bat an eyelid the next time we go to the city. Then once we're there we will vanish and get as far away from this place and its madness as possible. Alright? Can you do that for me, Serah?"

Serah nodded with a sniff, buried against the Pulsian's chest. The guilt climbed higher when Fang realised it was her fault that the girl was even here in the first place, and she vowed to make sure she got away. Even if it cost Fang her life.

* * *

 

Over the next few weeks, Serah knew she was being watched closely for any signs of deception. She played her best role, shelving the insanity to the back of her mind when talking with the others, able to detach enough to treat it like any other conversation with her peers. Fang had practically attached herself to her hip, refusing to leave her side. Gadot had brought it up once, speculating that they were an item. The punch he received in the jaw from Fang in response was so hard it nearly shattered the bone.

A month later they finally got their opportunity. Caius growled and threw a rusted pipe at Fang to get her attention. "You. Take Serah and go to the city for the day. She's going to blow this place half to hell if she's underground any longer."

"Thanks Caius! Do you want me to bring you back any ice cream?" Serah joked, hugging him from behind. He swatted her away with a growl and turned to walk out of the hall.

"Away with you child, before your pent up boredom kills us all."

Serah giggled and dragged Fang from her seat on the couch, pulling her excitedly towards the surface. "Can we hit up the museum again? Or the art gallery? Do we have time for both?" She chattered at a thousand paces, even managing to overwhelm Fang.

"Alright alright calm down, jeez. No ice cream or anything with sugar in it, you're hyper enough."

They made their way to the docks and jumped in the boat, Serah still talking incessantly away. When they were to the other side they continued the casual banter, even all the way into the city. Fang guided her into a clothing store and told her to pick out something  _fun,_ as she made a gesture that suggested Serah find something with a hood. She found a nice green fur-lined canvas jacket, while Fang picked out a black leather jacket over a light grey hoodie. They shopped for a while, replacing everything from their boots to their underwear. The only things they didn't throw out was their individual necklaces, the jewellery never having left their bodies long enough for them to be swapped out for a bug.

They didn't finally start to let their guard down until they were at the station and on board a transport that would take them in the opposite direction from any of it. Away from Nautilus, far from the island. They would travel north, until they reached the sea and then find transport across, far from Noel's range of shadow portals.

Serah suddenly slumped forward and let out a choked sob, her hands shaking and sparking with energy. Fang's eyebrows raised and she took the pinkette into her arms, rocking her slowly and holding her close. "Shhhhhh, shhhh. Come on, we're ok. We're going to be ok. You did good, Serah. I'm proud of you. I'm so proud of you, sweetheart."

"Fang, I'm so scared…"

"Ssh, it's alright. You got your big, bad Fang to look after you, ok? We'll stick together, and we'll be fine."

There was barely a moment to feel self-conscious or guilty about the car that Fang broke into and hot-wired when they'd reached the next station near Luxerion. It was just a matter of survival, and to keep ahead of anyone determined to pursue them. They'd drive to another town, take a train, steal another car and then onto another station in another town and onto a bus. Always changing their mode of transport, taking longer trips out of their way so as not to travel in a linear fashion. Paying cash and using aliases to stay in dive motels, sharing the bed because Serah was too scared to sleep alone.

By now, Fang assumed that Caius would have realised they had vanished and would be looking for them, but at least they managed to get a few days head start in the hopes that they could outrun them before he caught up, or worse, sent the basilisk after them.

"Fang, I'm hungry. Do you think we could stop for dinner?" Serah asked quietly, the question stirring the Pulsian from her thoughts.

"Of course, little Sunshine, let's pull in here and we'll get a bite to eat." Fang replied, pulling the car off the highway and into a small off-road diner. Her hackles raised the moment they got out of the car, the bitter wind sending a chill down her spine. It had been getting progressively colder the further north they travelled, and she had a growing feeling that someone had picked up on their trail.

Quickly ushering the small pinkette into the diner, they took a booth near the exit and Fang put her back to the wall, observing everyone and anything that could be deemed a threat. A waitress approached them with a smile that didn't reflect in her eyes, nodding in greeting.

"Evening ladies, what can I get you?" She asked jovially, but Fang caught the nervous twinge in her voice.

"Coffee thanks. To go."

Serah glanced up at Fang and pouted. "But what about dinner?" She complained, her stomach grumbling in protest as well. The brunette smiled at her curtly before turning her gaze back to the waitress. "We just need a few more minutes to look at the menu, thanks."

The waitress nodded and walked away quickly, retreating to the back of the kitchen. Fang leant forward and grabbed a couple of steak knives from the cutlery holder, shoving them into her jacket pocket. Serah saw the theft of utensils and her eyebrows raised.

"Um. Fang, what are you doing?"

The Pulsian saw movement outside in the carpark, as several shadowed individuals moved in between the cars and bushes. They didn't look like L'cie, and she cursed under her breath. Must have stolen the wrong car. "Sorry sweetheart, we might have to get dinner elsewhere tonight." She said quietly, Serah's face dropping with a nervous glance around her.

At that point, the lights went out and the other patrons scrambled from the diner in a panic. Fang spared a glance towards the waitress and growled. "If there's a back entrance to this place I suggest you take it, love." She grabbed Serah and pulled her underneath the table, crouching down with her. "I will protect you, no matter what. But please, little one. Don't watch."

Fang straightened up at the sound of the first of the figures rushing through the door, stretching the claws from her fingertips with a snarl. She let out a bellowing roar as the rest of her shifted, her skin hardening into orange plates over blue skin. Her teeth lengthened, her hair grew out in a fiery mane and the sight of her was enough to pause the pursuers in their tracks as they sized up what had been a vastly underestimated combatant.

The first of them rushed her and she flashed her teeth in rage, cutting through his Kevlar like paper with her sharp claws. He dropped with a scream of pain, his insides lain bare. Fang had a moment to see the patch on the side of the uniform before the others advanced, and hissed.

"Fucking Sanctum. Serah get down!" Fang leapt back, pulling her over the countertop with her as one of the other operatives threw a frag grenade over to the table. She rolled over the top of the pinkette, shielding her from the blast. Serah balled her fists, calling forth energy to fight back when Fang gripped her hands and shook her head. "No. If this makes the news because the diner exploded, Caius will know what direction we're going in. I'll keep them busy, you make for the back entrance but don't go outside until I'm there. Stay hidden."

Fang leapt back over the counter, plunging her claws into the chest of another Sanctum trooper with a savage snarl. Another put a few bullets into her, the pain only serving to further her anger. She lashed out and caught him in the throat with one of the knives pulled from her jacket pocket, and another thrown into the eye of the last man standing in the diner.

Taking a few moments to catch her breath, Fang limped over to the window and carefully parted the curtains. There were at least a dozen Sanctum specialists out there, armed to the teeth and preparing a second wave. She weighed up her options and none of them were good. They would have to take the risk after all.

Finding Serah crouched behind a kitchen counter at the back of the diner, she knelt down to check over the pinkette for injury. "Fang! You're bleeding!" She exclaimed, hands pressing over the wounds on the Pulsian's form. Fang bit her lip in pain and winced at the pressure.

"Fuck. Ok I know what I said about you not using your powers but… I don't think we're left with much of a choice. I won't ask you to take a life, Serah. Know that I would never ask that of you. But we gotta find a way to clear out whatever is undoubtedly a half dozen Sanctum agents behind this door. Can you do that for me sweetie?"

Serah nodded, leaning in close and giving Fang a hug despite the fact that it left blood all over her jacket. They crept back through to the main part of the diner, parting the curtains by a crack just to see the car park outside. There were a lot of agents running around everywhere, coordinating for the next phase of their assault. She closed her eyes and concentrated, trying to pull off a new trick Gadot had shown her back at Valhalla.

It was simple enough, but instead of calling the energy from within, he showed her how to call it externally, utilising nearby elemental sources to fuel what Gadot called "the build". She found what she was looking for and spared a moment for a quick prayer to Etro that she wasn't about to seriously injure or kill anyone and let off a few explosions in the gas tanks of the cars in the lot. They all started exploding, sending people scattering everywhere in a panic.

Fang pulled Serah up by the arm and dashed through the back door, the other agents scrambling around the front from the successful diversion. "Sorry hun, this'll be quicker if you hang on." She said, picking the pinkette up in her arms and tearing off into the forest.

* * *

 

For half the night and well into the morning, Fang ran, climbing higher up the mountain with Serah clutched to her chest. The young girl had long since fallen asleep from exhaustion and if she wasn't careful, so would Fang if her legs gave out on her.

It was hard to say how much ground they'd covered, even if Sanctum had figured out what direction they'd ran off in, it'd be some time before they could catch up. Fang didn't dare stop though, because if she did, she was going to fall over and not get up. Besides, she knew the moment she stopped would be when the moment the gods would decide to mess with her in some constant cruel twist of fate.

Serah stirred against her, and Fang slowed to a walk so as not to jar the girl too much. "What… Where are we?" The pinkette asked, Fang unable to really give an accurate answer. Her appearance startled Serah, rarely having seen Fang fully transformed.

"Not sure, little one. High in the mountains at this point. Was hoping to not have to do this trek on foot but Sanctum were an… Added complication to our escape."

"You can… Put me down, you know. Surely you're exhausted, not to mention still injured… Weren't you shot last night?"

Fang complied with the request, gently lowering Serah with a subtle wince from her wounds. "Nothing that won't sort itself out over the next few days. Don't worry, Sunshine. They can't put me down that easily."

A sudden burst of ice slammed into her, sending her and Serah forward into a nearby tree. The impact knocked Serah unconscious and Fang turned with a snarl. She couldn't see the attacker but knew they were there, and picked Serah up with a grunt of pain before running off again. A slithering sound chased her as she ran up the slopes, and she turned her head to find an ice-covered man sliding on the very element covering him, carving his own frozen path in pursuit.

"Fuck's sake, can't I catch a break for at least five minutes?"

The ice-man slid around in front of her with a cheeky grin, and Fang knocked it from his face with a brutal roar. It sent him flying back and into the snow, half buried under the white powder. Fang was beginning to succumb to her injuries, and she panicked, lowering Serah to the ground so as not to cause her any further harm. She didn't recognise this L'cie as one from Valhalla or the other cells, but it didn't mean he wasn't one of Caius' followers. The frozen man pulled himself from the snow, advancing towards Serah.

Fang roared and protected the unconscious pinkette from the enormous ice-man. She cut her claws across his chest, flaking off ice shards from his body that merely froze over like she'd done nothing at all. She punched his jaw in frustration, and that at least seemed to do the trick. Maybe this time she'd go for the jugular. Fang flexed her claws and stalked towards him with a growl.

Electricity suddenly crackled through the air. Before she could blink, a blur of green and white lightning shot in and got a few sharp jabs to her ribs and jaw before vanishing out of range again. Fang fell to her knees, air knocked from her lungs. She could smell burnt hair and skin, realising it was coming from her.

Fang snarled at the advancing blur of lightning and grunted as she was blown from the ground, smashing into a tree. Her vision swam and her limbs felt weak from the onslaught. The green lightning advanced, preparing for a final strike. Fang spared a panicked glance at Serah as she saw the electricity arc to the ground around her.

The green and white lightning zapped forward and stood before the Pulsian kneeling in the snow. The lightning was a person, not an element. Or, Fang surmised, when it came to a L'cie, the woman could well have been both. The hood blew back from the woman's head and she ripped the mask from her face. The familial resemblance was obvious, and Fang cursed under her breath when she realised she was face to face with Serah's older sister. Only then did she realise how much trouble she was in. Fang glanced up as she saw electricity bow from the woman's hand like a blade. She held her breath as it was held against her throat, burning her skin as it crackled. "Your days as a terrorist are  _done_ , you son of a-"

"Stop!" a new voice cried out, causing the electricity to slow down and come to a halt. "Stop! Don't you dare hurt her, Lightning!"

Fang's vision was blurred, and she took short, sharp breaths as she struggled to climb to her feet. She fell forward into the snow and felt a pair of arms, followed by another, and another helping her up.

"Hex, what the hell are you doing? That's one of Caius' L'cie!" The electric woman snapped, and Fang's sight began to clear a little, realising that the many hands helping her all belonged to the same person. Fang made a strangled cry in her throat as her eyes met the girl's face, the savage scars across the left side unmistakable to her. Three pairs of arms helped her upright as the redhead glared behind her.

"It's my sister, for Etro's sake!"

The woman called Lightning shot forward and picked up the unconscious form in the snow. She growled, cradling Serah in her arms. "You've gotta be kidding me..."

Fang's face fell as she looked back at the scarred face of her estranged sister and fought back tears. She bit her lip and looked away, overwhelmed with grief. "You… You're all grown up, little songbird." She whispered, her voice barely audible.

Hex surged forward and wrapped all six of her arms around her sister, resting her head against the brunette's shoulder. At first, Fang didn't know what to do and froze. "I don't fear you, or your claws. So just hurry up and hug me will you?" She heard her sibling whisper through tears. Fang delicately returned the embrace, hyper-aware of her claws around the redhead's body. She tried to revert them but was too high-strung and too wounded to concentrate long enough. A tear slipped down her cheek as she held onto her sister for dear life.

"Gods, I've missed you 'Nille." She whispered quietly. A bit of emotional laughter bubbled up from the redhead in response.

"Please come back with us, I… I don't want to lose you again now that I've found you after all this time."

"Are you kidding me? She's with Caius and his terrorists and you want to bring her back with us?" Lightning snapped from behind them, still cradling her own sister in her arms. "Especially after kidnapping Serah?"

"I didn't do shit… You bloody overgrown taser…" Fang growled, her voice weak from exhaustion and injury.

Lightning shot forward and got in Fang's face with a menacing growl. "Why you-"

"Enough!" Hex yelled, smacking both of them in the stomach with a pair of her many hands. "Both our sisters need medical attention, Light. I don't  _care_  who my sister is travelling with. I haven't seen her for nearly a decade and we. Are.  _Helping. Her._  You got your sister back after all this time, Lightning. Don't ask me to forgo mine."

The two had a tense stand-off for a few silent moments before Lightning relented, turning away. "Fine. But anything that happens because of her is on you, Hex." She vanished in a spark of electricity, leaving the Pulsian siblings alone.

Fang stood on shaky legs, helped by Vanille's many arms around her for support. "The hell is she calling you Hex for?"

"I didn't want people tracking you down if they knew who I was. Besides, I bet you have just a cool nickname instead of running around calling yourself Yun with Caius and his  _names befitting the gods_  crap."

"It's... Fang now, that name died a long time ago. I'm gonna… Just rest for a minute, ok?" The Pulsian said with a slurred voice, before crashing into the ground, unconscious. 

"Oh for the love of," Hex rolled her eyes and waved at the ice man standing nervously nearby. "Snow? A little help please?"


	5. Chapter 5

Serah's eyes fluttered open and she found herself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. That was the first surprise. A screech of chair along the floor drew her attention to the second surprise of the morning.

"C…Claire?"

"Serah, thank the gods you're alright." The elder Farron replied, grasping at her hand with a sad smile. Serah could only close her eyes and focus on controlling her breathing, the headache welling up again. She'd rather not blow the roof off two buildings in a year.

"Your disappearance makes a lot more sense now, in retrospect." Serah finally replied, opening her eyes and looking back at her sister. Claire had grown into a young woman, all lean muscle and hardened eyes. No more lanky limbs or… She noted with a cursory glance at her own hair, blonde locks. Lightning caught the gaze and dipped her head with a quiet laugh.

"Yeah, pink hair, who would have thought?" She mused, brushing the hair out of Serah's face with a sad smile before the expression fell. "I'm… I'm sorry that I left. That you've gone it alone for so long." Her apologies were interrupted by Serah leaping out of bed and launching herself into her arms.

"You absolutely  _suck_  for vanishing that day, and barely keeping in contact beyond the occasional cryptic text. But considering what happened back at the school, I… Understand why you had to run."

Lightning sighed, looking away at the door. "I wish I hadn't have ran. But with so much panic over the emergent L'cie I was worried something would happen to you, as well as mom and dad."

"Well I guess they have two daughters to freak out over now." Serah sighed, wincing at the thought of whatever they were going through now that two of their children were  _mutant freaks_. "I was on the road for a few months on my own, until I got caught up in a bar with a few men intent on um… Not great things. They attacked me, and were about to kidnap me, take me to the Sanctum."

"You were  _attacked? By humans_?" Lightning asked, daring not believe she had heard correctly. Serah rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"I'm  _fine._ Fang saved me, and has been looking out for me since."

"I bet she has. Keeping you under lock and key with that terrorist organisation."

Serah prodded her sister's collar bone with a sharp finger and glared. "No. You don't get to judge her when she is the only person who has kept me safe over the last while. She has shown me kindness, care and protected me from anyone who would seek me harm, Claire. She risked her life to get me away from Caius when it was made apparent what he planned to do with me and my abilities."

Thoroughly chastised, Lightning looked away with a small scowl, not wanting to admit that maybe someone she considered her enemy was a good friend to her sister. "... What kind of a name is Fang..." The elder Farron muttered to herself.

"Well what kind of a name is Lightning?"

"I... It was Sazh's idea. Helps protect our identities when out on the field." Lightning replied defensively. "While you're here, please call me Lightning, or Light. I don't trust  _Fang_ , regardless of her intentions to help you. The less she knows about us the better."

Serah frowned, the icy expression on her sister's face deepening into a dangerous glare as a blonde man in a hoodie stood at the door and knocked politely. "What do you want, Snow?" She heard Lightning ask and saw how he immediately straightened and looked nervous. Just what kind of person had her sister become?

"Uh… Um, S-Sazh wants to see you. Asked me to come get you."

Lightning sighed and stood from her spot by Serah's bed. No use putting off the inevitable lecture for " _employing aggressive tactics before seeking a peaceful resolution_ ". She nodded towards the door and squeezed her sister's hand. "I have to go deal with this, stay here and rest. I'll be back in a bit to check on you." She gave Serah a kiss on the top of her head and left the room, turning back to smile at her sister as she left.

"Wow." The blonde man muttered as Lightning left, causing Serah to tilt her head in curiousity. "Oh. Sorry. Just uh, probably the first time I've seen her smile in about the two years I've known her. Also I'm... sorry I accidentally knocked you out earlier. Didn't time my shot right, it wasn't meant to be that forceful. Um. My name is Snow."

"Serah," the pinkette replied with a smile, giggling a little. "Sorry I don't really go by my chosen alias yet, but that's Blazefire if you're interested." Snow smiled broadly and stepped inside the room, pulling up a chair to sit at her bedside. "So, what is this place?" She asked.

"Oh, this is The Haven. L'cie come here to be safe from the humans outside. Learn to control our gifts, so we can integrate into society, show them we aren't a danger."

While confirming her suspicions that she was in the place that Fang had railed about in many conversations, Serah winced at his words, fiddling with the blanket covering her. "I can't say I would be safe. I blew up my school when my powers manifested."

"Ouch, was anyone hurt?" He asked, placing a comforting hand over her own. Serah nodded and bit her lip.

"A little, nothing serious, no deaths."

Snow nodded, taking in her story as she continued to tell him what had happened, and he shrugged when she took a breath. "Well, it's a heck of a birthday present, I'll give you that. And if Lightning was the catalyst with her text that pissed you off, I guess that's pretty unsurprising. She's got the emotional capacity of a light bulb." He mused, his eyes widening when he realised who he was speaking with. "UH. Sorry."

With another giggle, Serah pulled herself out of bed and threw on her shoes. "It's fine. If anyone's going to understand it'd be me. Come on, I am feeling better. I know Cl… Lightning said for me to stay put but I really am alright. How about you give me a tour? I also want to go find Fang, make sure she's okay."

Snow helped her straighten up and blushed as she linked her arm through his. "That's the lady you came here with, right? I think she's down the other end still out of it. Can't believe that's Hex's sister."

An uneasy feeling settled in Serah's stomach at his words and her heart went out to Fang. She knew from a few of the stories the brunette had told her, facing her own sins of her past couldn't have been easy. Coupled with the fact that they were in the Haven, it was either going to be traumatic or potentially deadly when Fang came to.

"Come on, Snow. I've gotta go find her."

* * *

Lightning tapped her foot impatiently as she sat in Sazh's office, feeling beyond scrutinized. Yet he said nothing, just continued to watch her with a stern glare.

"I already know what you're going to say." Lightning blurted defensively, and Sazh raised an eyebrow in her direction.

"Oh? And what's that?"

"That I shouldn't have just charged in, I should have assessed the situation without acting rashly, that if I had have shown restraint and not jumped straight to excessive force I could have avoided unnecessary injuries. I need to not let my emotions get the better of me otherwise my abilities will control me, not the other way around."

Sazh hummed appreciatively, albeit completely exasperated with the pink-haired woman sitting before him. "Well you've at least saved me the trouble, I guess. But come on, Lightning. You automatically assumed that Serah was in danger because of who she was with."

Cerulean eyes glared at him accusingly. "Who she was with? Anyone marching under the banner of Valhalla with Caius and his madness is  _dangerous._ Fang is a terrorist, for Etro's sake."

"So are you mad because your sister has fallen in with a bad crowd? Or just pissed that she's getting personal with the shifter?" Sazh's words cut Lightning deep, and the snarl that pulled at her lips was completely involuntary. "I don't mean in  _that_  way, though you'd be giving me that expression regardless. I meant that the two seem to have formed a surrogate relationship, in the absence of their own respective sisters. Surprising, that we didn't know about Hex. Though that girl always keeps her cards close..."

"So what, we're just going to pretend that Fang didn't kill four Sanctum agents at that diner? That Serah was coerced into blowing up five squad cars in order to escape?"

Sazh gave a heavy sigh and loaded up something on his computer before spinning the monitor around. It was the security footage from the transport the day Lightning had found them in the city. "This is from the day you found Serah again, Diabolos and Hex hacked the feeds to get this information, that also led us to finding them when they later ran from Valhalla.

" _Caius scares me. He looks at me like I'm a weapon he can use. I know you owe him your life, Fang. But I worry that he sees my abilities and wants to unleash them on the populous, like I'm the answer to his problems_."

Lightning watched as Fang held her sister close, gazing at Serah with gentle affection. " _Don't worry little one. I won't let anything bad happen to ya. If Caius turns out to be a raucous genocidal maniac, we'll jump in my truck and drive. Ok?_ "

After switching off the monitor, Sazh folded his arms and gave Lightning a stern look. "You need to understand something that appears to be escaping your notice given your current… Impatience towards our guest. Fang is loyal to the  _death_. She wouldn't stand against Caius for anything. He orders her to kill, and she kills. He orders her to stop, and she stops. She follows him blindly and willingly, no matter what order she is given. And here she is, risking her life going against  _everything_  she knows and believes in, because she doesn't want that violent life to befall your sister."

Lightning clenched her jaw and looked away, unable to keep eye contact. If it was true, what she saw, she knew Fang wasn't going to be able to return to Valhalla. And she did save Serah. The only deaths at the diner were by Fang's hands, nothing that Serah did was to cause harm, merely to divert attention. The concept made Lightning uncomfortable. She didn't like when things weren't black and white.

"Claire, when you-"

"It's  _Lightning_." She interrupted, not wanting to hear her real name when Fang could be in earshot.

"Lightning, when you came to us all those years ago, I wanted to show you a better way. That you could still get an education, a life, safety and security. Yet at the moment if I were to stand you and Fang side by side, you're closer to the ideologies of Caius than she is."

He paused, grabbing his coffee and taking a long sip. It had long since gone cold and he scrunched his face in annoyance. "You need to understand your enemy to overcome them, and that doesn't mean know everything about them so you can strike at their weaknesses. It means understanding their motivations, and finding ways that could address their needs without violence. Communication, real dialogue… It causes longer lasting change than a weapon ever can."

Choosing to remain silence but not in obstinance, merely contemplation, Lightning considered his words while thinking over what she had witnessed. The only animosity she received from Fang was when she was the first to attack, inclusive of the past. There was the added complication that she was Hex's sister- that in itself was going to make things difficult.

The woman in question creaked the door open with a gentle knock, the scars on her face being the first thing Lightning noticed about her. The redhead was a Supernumerary, a category of L'cie that were often sporting more limbs or fingers than what would be considered normal. As a result, they are highly dexterous and highly intelligent, their brain power having to make up for the additional limbs giving way for extraordinary skills in other areas. Which was why it made Hex a great healer as the team's medic. Sazh ushered her in and Hex sat down with a small smile that looked more exhausted than anything.

"So from what my sister told me as we were bringing her back here yesterday, at least before she lost consciousness after  _your_  encounter with her, Light... Caius plans to make a move on the Sanctum. He had planned to use Serah's powers to detonate the building, forcibly drawing a line in the sand. I spent the night patching…  _Fang_  up to remove some of those bullets she'd received, courtesy of the Sanctum."

The pause in Hex's explanation wasn't missed, not that it was surprising to Lightning that Fang wasn't her sister's real name, any more than Hex was for the redhead. She never spoke on her past, so it came as a shock that she had a sibling at all, let alone that the sibling was a Valhalla devout. It also wasn't difficult to deduce the origin of her scars, now that Lightning was able to put two and two together. Knowing now that Fang was Hex's sister made her feel a little guilty that she went so hard during the fight.

Hex and Serah were of the same age, just as much as Fang seemed to be Lightning's age as well. It made sense that Serah and Fang latched onto each other, especially if they were missing their own respective sisters. Sparing a warm glance at Hex, Lightning could certainly see the reasoning behind it, and even understand it considering she had done much the same with the young redhead. She reached over and gave one of Hex's hands a squeeze, smiling gently.

"It must be rough, your sister coming home. How are you holding up?" She asked, Hex's bright green eyes tracking up to meet Lightning's.

"I would have thought to ask you the same thing."

"We would probably end up giving the same answer," Lightning chuckled, shaking her head in resignation. She'd have to shelve her animosity towards Fang, now for both Serah's  _and_  Hex's sakes. "What is going to happen with her?"

Hex's eyes darted between Lightning and Sazh, the old man moving towards the door and opening it slowly with a sigh. "That all depends on her. Let's go find out what we're all going to do moving forward."

* * *

When Fang opened her eyes, she was met with a similar ceiling but not unfamiliar to her at all. She knew exactly where she was. Fang growled under her breath and threw the sheets off her, her feet hitting the wooden floor warmed by the internal heating. The luxury of the place made her angry, considering that her brothers and sisters were out in the real world, suffering. Once she had inspected the bandages around her torso and tested her movement, she put her boots on and shrugged on her jacket, sticking stuck her head out into the hallway to check if she was being watched. She found her surroundings devoid of anyone and she rolled her eyes at the stupidity of it. If that pink-haired sister of Serah had an attitude as violent as her fighting, the fact she wasn't being guarded honestly surprised her. Fang shoved her hands in her pockets and ventured into the corridor.

Time spent at all in this mansion was time too long as far as Fang was concerned. She rounded a corner and found herself gratefully near the entrance. As she put her hand on the doorknob, Lightning, Sazh and Hex rounded a corner, on their way to check in on her. There was a silent stand-off between Fang and Lightning before the Pulsian's gaze drifted to the brutal scarring on her sister's face. The milky white of Hex's left eye left a void in Fang's heart and she turned away, unable to continue looking at such a painful reminder of her inability to control herself.

"Yeah well. Thanks." Fang said bluntly, twisting the handle and yanking the door open, stepping quickly through it. Hex watched her leave and her expression crumpled at her sister's retreating form. Lightning glanced at her and put a supportive hand on her shoulder.

"Fang, wait!" Sazh called after her, chasing her out into the courtyard. She was already halfway across it and picking up pace, not interested in whatever he had to say. "Come on, Fang. At least say hello to an old man?"

Her hand was already sprouting the claws when Fang heaved a sigh and let her arm drop to her side. She turned to face the owner of the mansion with a stony expression. "Sazh, save the proselytising for another day will you? I wasn't interested then, I'm not interested now. I'd gather now that Serah's been reunited with her sister she won't be leavin'. You've got another sheep for your flock, shepherd. So now I'm on my way."

"And your own sister?"

As much as it hurt to do so, Fang shrugged and turned away. "My sister doesn't need me around to remind her of how I nearly killed her."

Sazh raised an eyebrow at her and clicked his tongue in annoyance. "How long has it been? Hex doesn't hate you, or hold a grudge over what happened. She just misses you, and wants you to come home."

"This isn't my  _home_. It isn't safe for the other students for me to be here, and you know it."

"Is that what you really believe? Or just what Caius keeps telling you? Are you still so bitter about your gifts?" Sazh asked with a weary sigh, placing his hands on his hips. Fang snarled, showing sharper canines than he remembered seeing and stepped forward, giving him an aggressive shove. Lightning saw the altercation and dashed forward, Vanille chasing after her. Sazh put his hand out to stop her from doing anything rash, and she skidded to a halt, fists balled and ready to step in at a moment's notice. Fang kept her in her peripherals, but right now her anger was focused solely on Sazh.

"Gifts. My whole  _life_  was taken from me because of these so-called  _gifts!_  You see my sister every day and witness the results of my  _gifts_." She replied angrily, balling her fists and feeling the claws growing out, cutting into her palm. Fang fought to control her breathing, exhaling sharply through her nose. "There is nothing for me here."

The tense standoff was broken by a cheery yell from the other end of the courtyard as Serah jogged over with Snow, completely oblivious to the escalating situation they'd walked in on.

"Hey, Fang! How are you feeling?" Serah asked, interrupting their argument. She raced over and crashed into the tall brunette with a hug. Fang couldn't help the wry chuckle, ruffling the girl's pink hair. Lightning's jaw clenched at how familiar the brunette was with her sister, and narrowed her eyes in a somewhat jealous glare.

"A lot better, thank you. A little singed, but nothing a good beer and a sleep won't fix. I'm… I gotta make tracks, little one. People like me aren't good for sticking around in one place for too long. You… Got your sister back, so you won't be needin' me anymore."

Serah pouted and stood back, slowly turning Fang around with a frown. "That's not true, Fang. I… I'd still feel safer if you were around. Besides, isn't your sister here too?"

Fang leant forward and kissed the top of Serah's head in an affectionate gesture that made Hex's jaw tighten as well. "In case you haven't seen her yet, tell me that if the situations were reversed and your sister had done that to you, if you'd feel safe with her around." She whispered sadly, before pulling back and regarding her own sibling. Serah huffed and decided to file this argument away for later when there wasn't so many witnesses. The first thing she had noticed about Hex was her shy smile, not the scars that marred her face.

"I was hoping you and my sister could at least meet properly, seeing as you both h-"

"In case you forgot, Serah. Your  _friend_  and I have already gotten plenty acquainted." Lightning warned from behind them, a slight crackle of electricity dancing across her fingertips.

"Etro's fucking Gate…" Fang muttered, as she stared hard at the elder Farron. There was something annoyingly familiar about the cerulean eyes that were staring her down, but she chalked it up to the family resemblance of her recent travelling companion. She glared at the elder pinkette before gesturing lazy at Sazh. "You can't sit there and bemoan Caius and what he is trying to do for our kind when you have your personal defibrillator on a leash here ready to go off the chain at a hair trigger."

"Why you-"

"Lightning, don't." Sazh warned, his order causing Fang to cast a smug grin at the woman's expense.

"That's a good girl. See to it that your resident bug zapper gets a treat for such good behaviour. Don't want your pups getting out of control now, do we?" Fang drawled before giving them a salute and walking away. They all stood in silence in her wake, the only person making any kind of movement being Lightning. She suddenly let an angry yell and ignored Sazh's protests for her to stay put. Spurring herself forward, she chased the Pulsian across the yard.

Fang was already on the driveway headed towards the gate. Her mind weighed heavy with the guilt of walking away from Vanille, but she didn't have a choice. She wiped the tears from her eyes with a growl at her weak emotions. It was hard enough going back there and being reminded of all the reasons she ran in the first place, let alone that electric menace had once again managed to one up her. The subject of her thoughts suddenly appeared on the road in front of her, green and white electricity crackling around her. Fang swore and snarled, furious. "Are you trying to get yourself fuckin' killed?"

"Just trying to get your attention." The pinkette snapped in response. Lightning snapped her fingers and a spark shot from her hands, landing just in front of Fang's feet. The Pulsian turned and stared at her in disbelief, knowing that the woman had no hesitations to electrocute her.

"Well it worked. If this is about me helping your sister, I didn't lay a hand on her, and I'm not lookin' for a reward." Fang growled, closing her eyes to control her heart rate.

Lightning narrowed her eyes and shook her head. "Actually it has nothing to do with my sister, and everything to do with yours. You seriously think you're going to just leave after almost a decade of not seeing Hex, or her even knowing if you were alive?"

Fang snarled and bared her sharp canines at the pinkette. "What's it got to do with you? It ain't no business of yours, light socket."

"Hex is part of this household, of  _this_  family so it  _makes_ it my business. Think about that while you try to get your boots off the asphalt." Lightning disappeared in a flash, leaving Fang growling at the sparking electricity in her wake. She tripped over her own feet and realised that Lightning had melted her soles of her boots to the road.

"Fucking hypocritical elemental bitch…" Fang sighed, pulling her shoes off her feet and standing barefoot on the hot asphalt.

While nowhere near as fast as Lightning, Hex had chased after Fang as well. She found her sister kicking at the half melted boots in frustration and surmised from the smell of burnt rubber that Lightning may have had a hand in her sister's delay. Fang looked up on her approach and immediately tore her gaze away.

"So after almost a decade, this is how it's going to be?"

"Vanille, I…" Fang started, failing to find words to give her sister a response that would possibly be deemed adequate. She turned away, only to find six arms grabbing her and spinning her back around.

"Stop  _running_ , Fang. You think you're the only one who did damage when your powers awakened?" Vanille yelled, holding onto her sister with an iron grip. "I'm told your friend Serah blew the roof off her school building, injuring about fifty students and teachers. Lightning caused at least a dozen accidents when she shorted out the town's power supply, Sazh's town thought it was the end of days and started offing themselves in preparation to meet their maker and Snow accidentally  _froze his own parents_! If all you did was  _this,_ " she paused, pointing at the scars on her face for emphasis, "then I think you got off pretty damn lightly!"

Fang had no response, just stood there in silence with a tight jaw. It was true, though still terrifying for the humans today when someone's L'cie abilities manifested. It was only a handful of years ago where they started appearing more frequently, and almost always caused some sort of injury, death or at the very least some significant property damage. Vanille pushed herself into Fang's chest and cried. "Enough, Yun. I'm tired of being alone."

"You're not alone, 'Nille. You've got plenty of friends here." Fang replied, her voice breaking with her failing composure. Vanille shook her head and buried herself into Fang's neck further.

"They're not  _you._ I don't care about what happened. I miss you. Stop looking at me like I'm your life's biggest regret. Look at my face and let the scars remind you that no matter what you do, I will still love you, and never let you go."

Fang continued to hold her sister, ignoring the tears that fell down her own face. Even moving past the scars, she definitely wasn't going to dismiss the fact that her sister had quite a few more arms than the last time she saw her. While she had her suspicions based on what she'd seen from other L'cie that Vanille would have had the gene as well, she was very human when they parted ways. "When did you get so bloody handsy? It's like bein' hugged by an octopus…" she muttered under her breath while she continued to stroke her sibling's hair. Vanille giggled and looked up from ember spot against Fang's chest, wiping the tears from her face with a sniff.

"I figure I needed more arms to hold onto you the next time I saw you, so you wouldn't leave again."

Fang snorted at the light-hearted comment before staring off towards the mansion with a sigh. "I guess… I could stick around for a while and heal up."

Vanille laughed amidst her sobs, knowing that her sister was too stubborn to concede like a normal person. She grabbed Fang's hand with one of her own, tugging her back towards the house. "Come on, I will talk to Sazh about getting you space in the mansion."

"Goody." Fang replied with a sardonic tone. Being reunited with her sister was one of the best things in the world, but coupled with spending that time in what was essentially a "Nest of Vipers" as Caius called it, was probably one of the worst things in the world.

She laid her eyes on Lightning as she was dragged back into the house, the ice cold expression of displeasure was as obvious as a brick through a glass window.

"Lady Luck, help me survive this in one piece." Fang muttered to herself, before allowing Vanille to lead her down the hallway.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do honestly bring this shit on myself. I should take a break-AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA we all know that won't happen.

Fang gave a languid stretch and yawned. She was already bored with this place and it's pristine... Niceness. With a sneer at her surroundings, she loped off down the hall and made her way to the courtyard outside.

Sazh was deep in conversation with Lightning, the seemingly permanent scowl on her face deepening at Fang's emergence from the house. The winged man turned to regard the brunette with a welcoming smile. "Ah, Fang. Good morning. Sleep well?"

"Like I was sleeping on a cloud. The ritzy accommodation sure beats the run down canvas cots back at the plant."

Lightning bristled at the comment, the thought of her sister sleeping in a rundown  _nuclear_   _facility_  made her stomach turn. Fang gave her a once over and narrowed her eyes, remembering the last several times they'd "interacted". They glared at each other for a few moments, before Fang relented with a roll of her eyes and turned away.

"Anyway, I'm gonna go grab something to eat. I bet you still keep your secret stash where you left it?" she asked, Sazh giving a hum of annoyance, causing Lightning's eyebrows to raise. Fang sauntered off, hips popping with every step that bled arrogance. Before Lightning could question her mentor, Sazh disappeared inside, looking pensive. Her eyes narrowed and she stalked off to the kitchen for answers.

The sounds of rummaging came from the pantry as Fang rifled through the shelving looking for the old secret stash she knew Sazh kept behind a fake wall. "Yessss. Come to mama you beautiful creature." She muttered to herself as she retrieved a bottle of whiskey and pulled it from the hidden shelf. As she was preparing the drink, she picked up on the scent of her intruder over the burn of the alcohol and grinned to herself.

"What's the matter? Annoyed to find out that you weren't the first of his prodigal children?" She quipped from her spot by the cupboard under the bench as she searched for glasses, not bothering to straighten up or make eye contact. Fang could practically feel the heat of the pinkette's anger as the woman shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot.

The silence inevitably annoyed Fang, so she finally stood up properly with two glasses in hand. She flexed her blue plated arms and poured two drinks, sliding one across the table in an offering of peace. "It's eleven in the morning. And this is a school."

"What's your point?"

More silence, as Fang shrugged and took a drink before setting the glass back down on the bench. "Sazh never told you, I am guessing."

"No. He didn't."

"Hm. I gather he doesn't like to be reminded. You know he and Caius started this place, right?"

Lightning felt her anger flare and a stream of electricity arced off her, zapping a nearby cupboard. The noise startled them both and she blushed, embarrassed at the temporary loss of control. "Sorry." She offered awkwardly, the words causing Fang to smile and drop her guard a little.

"They met a long time ago, before any of us even heard of the word L'cie. Started this place with an inheritance, started branching out and looking for people like us. Let's just say they parted ways over…  _Philosophical differences_. Caius saved my life, I wasn't about to abandon him."

The explanation coupled with Fang's obvious declaration of loyalty left Lightning feeling uneasy. She'd seen reports on Caius, and any few words Sazh offered on the wayward L'cie weren't exactly tame. Knowing that Pulsians would often flock together even without any mutated genes, it just added another layer of blockages that would bind Fang to Caius no matter what. She grew up with a handful of Pulsians back home as a child, and they were all devout to their family and their clan. For this shifter to have turned her back on what she would have likely considered her clan for the sake of Serah… Lightning knew that Fang's actions involving Serah weren't small in scale in the slightest.

"Though in retrospect considerin' my sister ended up here, I probably should have stuck around. O' course, Lady Luck would deliver my sister to you, and yours to me. Funny how fate works."

A stifled huff came from Lightning's mouth and she folded her arms, leaning against the door frame as she stared into the hallway beyond. "Honestly, I expected her to be… Angrier at me."

Fang stirred the drink with a claw and shrugged, remembering the many late night conversations she'd had with Serah over the individual now standing broodingly in the kitchen with her. The anger and hurt often seeped from the young girl, and Fang spent a long time comforting her in whatever way she could.

"She was. For a long time, anyway." Fang replied, seeing a flash of hurt cross Lightning's face before she looked away. "I… Talked her down from a lot of it. Figured all this L'cie business was why you took off. Once Serah realised she had to run as well... She understood your position. Something you and I have in common I suppose, considerin' V... Hex. Ironic that her sister was you, considering the amount of times you've singed my heels in a few of our… Bouts in the past."

"Bouts? Is that what you'd call it?" Lightning said with a small amount of amusement. She stood up from her spot against the frame and moved to walk out. Pausing in her steps, she turned back to face the Pulsian with her hand resting on the doorframe. "If you had have known it was me, would you still have talked her through it? Or left us both to our demons?"

It was hard to say. On one hand, Fang immediately wanted to scoff and deny she'd have even bothered. On the other, the amount of pain that she'd seen Serah in reminded her too much of what Vanille would have been going through from her own strikingly similar actions.

"Nah. I still woulda done it. I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't, considerin' what I did to my sister. Even if you  _are_  an electrified arsehole."

Lightning thinned her lips at the Pulsian and sighed, leaving the kitchen and her untouched drink behind. Fang took it and knocked it back with a shrug. "More for me then."

* * *

 

The following morning Sazh found the elusive shifter sitting under a tree staring off into the distance. Vanille had gone for a walk with him to try to locate her sister and breathed a sigh of relief when they found her. She was beginning to worry that Fang had taken off again, something that was still very much a possibility from the increasingly haunted look on her face every time she saw her sibling.

"So is your plan to just sit here until the end of time?" He called out, meandering over and sitting down in the shade next to her. Fang immediately tensed at the newfound interruption to her thoughts, but reached over and put an arm around Vanille's shoulder to give her a hug as she sat down on the other side. She had been trying to not be so stiff around her younger sibling, and return to some of that easy contact that wasn't at all easy in execution.

"I was hoping to just have a sleep in the shade, actually. What do you want?"

"I was hoping that you'd tell me what you really want. What do you want to achieve by being here? Sitting under a tree is all well and good but don't you want more?"

Fang suppressed the reflex growl that reared from his words, closing her eyes to control her breathing and any further shifts beyond her claws and arms. Of course she wanted more. She wanted to be free of the curse that nearly cost her sister her life. That turned her entire world upside down and left her on the streets, a "mewling weak thing" as Caius would say. She wanted to not be so angry all the time. She wanted the perpetual taste of blood out of her mouth. She wanted a lot of things she'd never get.

Feeling Vanille's arms slide around her own, she sighed and gave the redhead's temple a gentle kiss. At least there were some things the gods would give her back, relief settling her down. To have her sister by her side again made her heart soar, even if it was shot down every time she saw the scars across her sibling's face.

"You've improved on your speeches, old man. Caius would be proud."

Sazh stood up and stretched his wings before placing his hands on his hips. "Practice. Training. Focus. It's what I offer here, not that I have to tell you that. You've been here before. All these things mean you don't have to be afraid of yourself. Caius was right about one thing, Fang. You  _are_  powerful. We all are. But without any sort of discipline all you are is a live wire."

"Was that a crack at the power outlet's expense?" Fang drawled, her thoughts drifting over to the pink-haired elemental that she was still on the fence about. She had yet to determine if Lightning was trying to befriend her or kill her, and that likely changed by the hour. He gestured out to the grounds where Lightning and Snow were training in a friendly sparring match while Serah watched on from the sidelines.

"She was like you when she first arrived. Nothing more than a lightning rod to stick in a field. Didn't know how to ground herself so she was always shorting out the electrics in the house. It caused major problems while she was out in civilisation, she'd unintentionally injure other humans on a semi-regular basis. That's why she was always on the run. If she let an electrical discharge off in a populated area, a lot of people got hurt. Here she learned how to reign it in. Control it. Use it to her advantage. You could too, Yun."

" _Don't_  call me that." Fang snapped, standing from her spot and stalking across the field, bringing the conversation to an abrupt end. Vanille watched her leave, desperate to try to get her sister to just stay and hear them out.

"Lightning! Can you show us that thing you've been working on?" She called out, drawing the older pinkette's attention. Cerulean eyes that crackled with electricity sparked at the redhead's voice and she held a hand up to stop Snow's advances. "How you've figured out how to control the electricity to give you a bit of a boost." Vanille continued pointedly, her stare darting to Fang and then back to the elemental.

Seemingly understanding the intention, she placed her hands down to her sides and generated her namesake from her open palms. She pushed the electricity into the ground and let it propel her into the air, landing in front of Fang with a little stumble. The shifter looked startled and Lightning coughed. "Sorry. Still trying to get a handle on the landing."

Sazh smiled and wandered over, Vanille in tow. "With a little bit more practice we think she'll be capable of some sort of flight. That could be an ambitious goal that may or may not be achievable, but it's something to work on. So come on Fang, how about you show me what you've been working on with Caius?"

A loaded question by far, and Fang knew it. Sazh knew that Caius hadn't been training her in any way or form in terms of her abilities, merely on all the ways she could hunt and kill. A niggling doubt began to eat at her thoughts that maybe that was intentional. Maybe Caius didn't teach her so he could control her. "You know, this and that…" She replied, attempting to evade the question.

"Show me." Lightning suddenly piped up, moving away and beckoning the Pulsian over with a crook of her hand. "I want to know what Caius teaches you in Valhalla, which is obviously not a lot seeing as I've bested you on several occasions now."

"Lightning…" Sazh warned once again, concerned that the elemental was deliberately antagonising and escalating the situation. Fang growled and shrugged her jacket off, her hair growing longer into the familiar fiery mane.

"All right you oversized voltmeter. Let's go. Get this shit out of our system and then I can go back to ignorin' the lot of you." She said, baring her sharp canines as she shifted. Fang brushed past the group, walking purposefully into the open field. She shoulder charged Snow as she passed, still annoyed at him for knocking Serah out. "Outta the way, popsicle."

The blonde man moved back with a chuckle, not fazed in the slightest by the remark. He took Serah by the shoulders and guided her away from the vicinity, sure to put some distance between them. Sazh wanted to step in and stop it but at this point he figured it was far safer to let it run its course. Lightning cast a glance back at her sister, but then quickly over to Hex. The redhead's face was impassive, though her eyes were wide as she stared at Fang's transformation. She zipped over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "We don't need to do this. I don't want to upset you with this."

"No, it's ok. I think… I think it needs to happen. Just don't… Don't hurt her too much."

Fang's ear twitched as she caught the edges of her sister's words and snarled, her back to them. She rolled her shoulders and moved her head around, cracking the bones in her neck slowly. Thinking back over her last few engagements, the elemental always caught her by surprise and when she was raging.

This time was different. She was prepared. This time Fang didn't feel rage. She felt cold. Her own sister siding with the pink-haired L'cie made her feel more alone than ever. She missed her friends back at Valhalla, who would now likely kill her on sight because of her betrayal. Not missing the gasp from Vanille when she had first shifted, it would have been the first time she had seen a full shift since that fateful argument. For Vanille to say that she wasn't scared of Fang was either a gross overestimate of her own coping abilities, or a bald-faced lie. The hollow feeling in Fang's chest grew, and she clenched her jaw to push it out of her awareness.

If there was one thing Caius  _did_  teach Fang, it was how to hunt. How to be a beast. And if that was all she was going to be seen as, that was how she was going to be. Fang turned with a set expression, her eyes hollow and calculating.

Vanille saw the shift in her sister's expression and gripped Lightning by the wrist. It was the same face she saw right before she never saw anything from her left eye again. She took a shuddering breath and squeezed the pinkette tighter. "Light, be careful. Please."

"Don't worry about it Hex, I got this."

"You got nothin', zappy. We doin' this or what?" Fang's curt response came from across the field.

They circled each other on the field, Sazh clearing his throat loudly to attempt to get their attention. "Need I remind you that this is  _light_ sparring only. No injuries please."

Fang's lip curled up in a snarl as she placed her arms up in front of her in a defensive position. She knew enough about her previous interactions that Lightning liked to go on the offensive. True to her instincts, the elemental darted forward and placed a sharp bolt inside Fang's defences, sending her skidding back. There was no bite to the electricity so it didn't hurt, allowing Fang to recover quickly.

She watched as Lightning shot forward again, zig zagging along the field and getting inside her guard every time. "You're too slow, Fang." The pinkette quipped with a smirk as she moved backwards, preparing for another round of jabs. She dashed forward at a blinding speed, her momentum suddenly halted by strong claws around her throat.

"And you're too predictable." Fang growled, slamming Lightning into the ground. The elemental's vision hazed as she gasped for breath. There was a low guttural sound from the shifter's throat as she shifted back to a human form, save her arms. Leaning down close, Fang grazed her sharp teeth just lightly against Lightning's throat and moved up to her ear, causing the pinkette to cease her struggling and freeze in fear.

"Lightning!"

"Fang!"

Two sets of voices rang out at the same time, though it was their opposite sisters calling out for the other as Serah stepped forward, worried for Fang while Hex was equally scared for Lightning.

Ignoring them, Fang growled low and gave a devious smile. "You think that every time we've met I haven't been watching you? Your patterns? Your movements? How you favour your dominant side all the time? How you always take a feigned step to the left before going in on the right? You think you've been gaining the upper hand every time we've met but all you've done is given me what I need to  _end you_."

Suddenly releasing her, Fang stepped back and held out a hand to help the elemental up with a sly smile. Lightning didn't take it, scrambling to her feet and taking several paces backwards, breathing heavy. For the first time in a long time, she felt fear. Fear that she could be bested, that all the speed in the world wouldn't help her.

"See that's the thing you've failed to realise. Unlike your namesake,  _Sunshine_ , you strike the same place every time." Fang drawled, her eyes narrowed and grin cruel on her face. "We done with this farce now? Because I'm done, Sazh. Watching your charges learn to suppress their powers is ridiculous. You're not teaching them to survive. This pacifist mentality of yours is going to get your  _children_  killed."

Without any further opportunity to respond, Fang left them on the field, swinging the jacket over her shoulder. Lightning watched her leave, still feeling the claws around her throat.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I went ring shopping today and that made it real and now that it's only three and a bit weeks away here's a chapter while I go scream into a couch cushion.

It would be a few days later before anyone actually ran into Fang again, the shifter hiding out on the campus somewhere avoiding everyone and climbing into her window of a night to sleep. The first person to come into contact with her was Lightning.

The elemental on an early morning jog through the nearby forest that was on the land Sazh owned. Lost in her own thoughts about the recent altercation, Lightning scowled at the trail in front of her as she went over the fight in her head repeatedly. She was deliberately keeping her pace slow- well what was deemed slow for her anyway- to drag out the morning. Taking a break and leaning against a tree, Lightning stared off into the distance and huffed. "Fang saw right through my training and had me on the ground in seconds… I'm not that obvious am I?" She grumbled to herself, displeased at the notion that she wasn't as well trained as she thought.

"As obvious as lightning strikin' a tree, darlin'."

Lightning's eyes darted up to find Fang lazing up in the branches above her and pushed herself away from the trunk. The shifter swung her legs over and leapt off the limb, landing effortlessly on the ground. They squared off against one another for a moment, both curious and wary of the other's next actions.

"So this is where you've been hiding." Lightning surmised, trying not to show the uneasiness at the realisation that she was alone in a forest with Fang, who seemed to know far more about her abilities than she was comfortable with. Despite the open forest surrounding them, Lightning couldn't have felt any more trapped. Still, Fang's posture was relaxed, almost lazy in appearance. Lightning knew that this meant nothing for a shifter with incredible reflexes, but it helped settle her a little. Fang looked back towards the mansion where the elemental had come from and shrugged.

"More or less. It's peaceful out here. No Sazh to lecture me about personal responsibility and  _the bigger picture of peace_ , no sappy team bonding exercises. Here," Fang paused, reaching into her backpack she'd brought with her. She pulled out a bottle of water and chucked it towards the pinkette, who caught it with a nervous fumble. Fang saw the twitchy demeanour and sat down on grass at the base of the tree.

While pleased with herself to have affected the elemental so, there was a tiny gnawing of guilt at the edges of her mind. Here she was in the middle of a forest, with the sister of her friend and the friend of her sister. And instead of trying to make nice for their sakes, she'd instead got the pinkette off side and made her incredibly skittish in her presence.

"Relax, I'm not gonna hurt you. Both Serah and my sister would have me strung from the rafters. The water ain't poisoned, I promise."

"Well you sounded like you meant… Business the other day on the field." Lightning shot back, feeling defensive and prickly around the shifter. She kept glancing back at the trail to see if there was a way to put some distance between them before the shifter made a move.

Fang shrugged with a soft laugh, pulling out a flask and taking a swig. She ignored the look of concern that flashed across the elemental's face and shook her head. "I wanted to pull you down a couple of pegs, sweetheart. Teach you a little bit of damned humility. If you enter into a fight with that constant cocky attitude you'll slip up and get yourself killed. You bloody elementals are all the same…" She trailed off, staring into the deeper parts of the forest.

If she focused her senses she could hear running water in the distance, possibly a stream or even a waterfall. It relaxed her, kept her calm. Fang smiled and glanced back over at the pinkette who was still looking like she was ready to bolt. "Sazh talks a fine game when it comes to the pacifist attitude, but you don't strike me as one who likes to… Sit still. Tell me. What are you like during storms?" She asked, finding herself admiring the scowl that appeared on Lightning's face.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She retorted a little too quickly, giving Fang all the information she needed to know.

"Because, all. You. Elementals. Are. The same." Fang said with a knowing smile on her face. She patted the ground next to her in an attempt to get Lightning to sit down. When the elemental didn't move, Fang sighed and threw a wrapped sandwich at her in a peace offering. After pulling out a sandwich of her own and taking a bite, she looked thoughtful and swallowed, pointing the triangular slice at the pinkette.

"There was another that was with me and Caius in the beginning, Gadot is his human name. Goes by Ifrit these days. Fire elemental. Couldn't keep him near a campfire in the early stages, you'd lose him to a trance for hours before he'd blow the grounds half to hell from getting too into feeling the flames. You types of L'cie are known for getting far too involved, almost addicted to the feeling of your elements." Fang paused to munch on her sandwich some more, and Lightning's expression grew pensive as she toyed with the plastic on the offered food in her hands. Incredibly uncomfortable with the notion that the shifter seemed to know more about the elemental L'cie than she did, she remained silent in the hopes that Fang would continue.

"Sazh tells me you were a bit of a lightning rod in the beginning. What did it feel like?"

Considering the question threw the pinkette into her memories. In the early stages of Lightning's awakening as a L'cie it was intoxicating to her. To be so connected to the chaos of the storm, to revel it... Every strike of lightning was like her opening herself up and leaving herself raw to the elements. It was addictive. She became too used to the feeling. She had become arrogant. Cocky. Overconfident in her abilities so began letting her guard down. It was what got her caught by her mother in the first place, and what had her slammed into the ground on the field the other day by the very dangerous woman that stood before her.

She couldn't find fault in Fang's words or even her methods, though the beating her pride took still annoyed her. Lightning contemplated whether honesty was the best policy in this case. She assessed no threat from the woman in front of her, so answered the question as she remembered those storm-ridden nights in the fields.

"The electricity seemed to come and go at first, I'd have to go out to an open field away from the town during storms because I'd attract all the lightning... But gods it felt amazing. I felt like I was able to touch the sky."

Fang took in the easy smile that had slowly crossed Lightning's face, clearly lost in her thoughts. She counted the seconds before the pinkette remembered who she was talking to. Fang got to five before Lightning visibly shook herself and folded her arms defensively. "Why are you interested? Looking for another way to  _end_   _me_?"

"Nah. I've got enough of that, gorgeous. It just doesn't surprise me that Sazh doesn't go into the downsides or the nitty gritty details of bein' a L'cie. You know, aside from the soul-crushing discrimination, isolation and fear of constant danger from the outside world or your own abilities of course. He always seems to want to suppress powers, rather than let them flourish." Fang replied with a wry chuckle, slowly standing and dusting off the back of her jeans.

She paused to give the elemental a once over and decided there was something there that she could chip away at. This woman wasn't like the others of Sazh's ilk. "Sometimes they don't need to be controlled, but honed. Built upon. You're a goddamn storm, you shouldn't be held back." She swung her backpack back over her shoulder and began to walk away, to leave Lightning be.

"Where are you going?" The elemental called out, Fang not slowing in her step.

"Gotta find somewhere else to hide now that you've caught me. Shame, that bough was pretty damned comfortable."

Some of Fang's words cut Lightning deep. She longed to go back to the fields again and remind herself that she was still able to  _feel._  Sazh banned her from being out and about during storms because it always caused problems at the mansion. Not that she entirely believed the shifter's intentions, but Fang's behaviour yesterday seemed to be less along the lines of trying to kill her but rather to teach her a lesson. If she couldn't trust Fang's words, she could at least trust the reality that both their sister's would take action if anything happened.

Against Lightning's better judgement, she scuffed the dirt with her shoes and tightened her jaw. "You don't… You don't have to hide. I can tell Sazh to back off with his speeches, if you prefer to be left alone. There's plenty of places in the mansion where you could... I'm just saying you don't have to be out here if you don't want to."

Silence was all that Lightning received, before she heard the drawling accent float back to her on the breeze. "I'll think about it."

* * *

 

The cushions shifted with a bounce as Serah flopped down on the couch in the living room. "Hey stranger, how you been?" Fang asked, wrapping an arm around the pinkette's shoulder. There was a part of her that was worried that she'd just been playing the part of the placeholder until Serah was reunited with her sister.

It was a concern that Serah seemed to share as she snuggled into Fang. Neither had seen each other for nearly a week after Fang's self-imposed exile and while it had given her time to bond with Hex and the others, she found herself missing her shifter companion that she had gotten so close to over the last while. She had the closeness already there that she had been trying to rebuild with Claire, but it was slow going with the elder Farron. The perpetual guilt was exhausting at times, and she was beginning to suspect Fang and her sister had far too much in common on that front. Serah wasn't at all oblivious to the strange disconnect between the respective siblings, and tried not to be jealous at the level of closeness Lightning seemed to share with Hex.

"I've been ok. This place is nice. I'm making friends, and Sazh even has an education system in place so I can continue my last year of school."

"That's real good to hear, little one. I know your education is real important to you. But what's this scent I'm picking up on here?" Fang asked, rapping Serah on the head with her knuckles. "Oooh. You're getting up close and personal with the snow cone, eh?"

"Fang!" Serah exclaimed, smacking the Pulsian on the arm. "A little louder why don't you? I don't think my sister is homicidal enough? Besides nothing's  _happened..._ We just like hanging out, that's all."

"Alright alright. Just make sure you're safe, and you talk everything through. If you're open and honest and set appropriate boundaries, you will be less likely to get hurt if things do progress. And if he doesn't respect your boundaries, explode him. He seems pretty  _cool_... For an iceberg, anyway."

A groan came from the young pinkette, burying her head in Fang's shoulder from the terrible jokes at Snow's expense. But she was grateful for the calm but wise words the shifter offered; Lightning would probably have electrocuted him by now just for looking at her. "What about you, Fang? What are you going to do now that you're here?" Serah asked, tilting her head up so she could see her properly. Fang's eyes darted away, her lips curling in distaste.

"I don't know, Serah. This place makes me uncomfortable. You  _know_  my feelings on the Haven. I'd feel like the world's biggest hypocrite if I stayed."

"And you'd  _be_  the world's biggest dick if you left your sister again. She is happy here, why not try to find some happiness here for yourself? Even C... um, I mean, Lightning found a place here, and she's as freaking stubborn as you are."

Serah untangled herself and stood, eyeing her friend's blue, plated arms and realised this was the longest time she'd seen them looking… Less than human. Possibly a defence mechanism, a way of making herself feel safe in an unknown environment. A potentially  _hostile_  environment, if the daggers shooting from her own sister's eyes on a regular basis were any indication of threat level for the Pulsian.

"Just think about it, Fang. I know you have some... Differences of opinion about what this place represents, but maybe try to look at Haven for what it  _really_  is. A safe place where you don't have to keep running, don't have to keep fighting, and just... You know, just  _be._ "

Once she'd made her point, Serah left Fang alone to her thoughts. The Pulsian sighed and stared at the television absently, the decision to stay or go weighing heavy on her mind. She felt like a sitting duck, a stationary target. Whether Caius was going to rock up on the doorstep, or the new added complication of Sanctum sniffing around, the longer Fang would stay here the more unsafe she felt. Aside from Lightning, she hadn't seen any of the capabilities of the other L'cie, so couldn't -and didn't- expect them to have her back when the chips were down. Nor did she expect for the elemental to protect her, given that her behaviour towards Lightning couldn't exactly be described as  _amicable_  in any sense.

"She's right, you know."

Fang jumped in her seat, too immersed in her thoughts to register anyone else in the room. She turned with a scowl to find Lightning standing in the doorway, observing the Pulsian closely.

"Serah told me... About how you risked everything to get her out of Valhalla, away from Caius when you realised how he was going to use her. It's... unexpected. I thought your loyalties lay with him."

There was a noticeable shiver as Fang stood, rolling her shoulders to stop any further transition. The anger had flared almost instantly, her need to defend Caius and her choice to side with him sparking the need to become the beast on instinct alone. Expecting another fight about Caius and his " _Terrorist L'cie_ ", Fang took a couple of deep breaths before turning to face the pinkette by the door.

"I'm sure you've got reports a mile high about the things I've done over the years in the name of freedom from the tyranny of human kind. The deaths I have caused by my own hand of those wretched Sanctum bastards. But that is by  _my_  actions,  _my_  own choices. I wouldn't allow Serah to be used so blatantly for what would be a suicide mission. Especially when it isn't what she wants. Those things aren't her choices. I wouldn't have that life for her any more than you would."

Lightning stepped closer, narrowing her eyes as she considered the new addition to their home. There was a vulnerability behind the fierce jade irises that if Lightning hadn't have overheard the tail end of the conversation with Serah and seen how they were together, she wouldn't have been looking for it. It looked like sorrow. But to Lightning, it also looked like hope. Hope that maybe there was something behind the tough and brutish exterior that was worth saving. "I want to show you something." She turned and walked down the hall, glaring expectantly when Fang didn't immediately follow. The Pulsian sighed and threw herself from the couch, loping after her.

The elemental led Fang into a games room, where she found their respective sisters playing a table soccer game with another of the L'cie. It was Serah and the ice-man versus Hex and her many arms, and they appeared to be losing. Badly. Much to the redhead's glee. They were talking with a small youth that had similar skin to her own shifted form, who read a book while they played next to him. They all seemed to be having fun in what they were doing, and Fang bit her lip as she watched her sister laugh. It was like the scars weren't there at all for the young redhead as she paid them no mind.

"Hex spoke of you often. Apparently even guessed that you'd gone by the name of Fang. Said it was from one of those old Pulsian Mythos comics you would obsess over as a teen." Lightning explained, scratching absently at the palm of her own hand and tracing a thumb over a faint scar there. "What little of your past I do know is that you were fiercely loyal and protective of her, and that you've likely torn yourself up every night since what happened when your abilities awakened. I know she doesn't fault you for what happened."

Fang sighed and folded her arms defensively, mindful of the claws. "Why would you care? Aren't we meant to be mortal enemies or some shit?"

Sazh had made his point clear in his office, that Lightning had to understand her enemy to overcome them, and communication could cause longer lasting change than a weapon ever could. Besides, as reluctant as she was to admit it, the two of them had vastly more in common with each other than they differed. Even despite how simultaneously aggravating and terrifying the woman could be.

Lightning thought that perhaps she would be the one to extend the bridge and shatter what appeared to be signs of mild brainwashing with the ideologies of Valhalla. If Fang had been by Caius' side from a young age, it was a very long time to be exposed to dangerous ideas and conditioned to devoutly follow him without question. She moved into Fang's line of sight and pinned her with a stern gaze.

"Because I've seen how you flinch every time Hex comes near you. Like she is paper you're afraid of cutting. That hurts her just as much as your absence. If you really feared your ability to lose control you would work on it and learn to harness your abilities, rather than allowing Caius to call you a mindless beast and perpetuating the idea. Serah told me about the things he says to you. You don't seem like the type who would allow yourself to be gaslit."

A frown crossed Fang's face, knitting her brow together in confusion. "Gaslit? What's a stove got to do with anythin'?" Lightning covered her mouth with her hand to hide the chuckle at the unintended joke.

"It's when you're made to question yourself, your sanity, your world around you. Being told constantly by Caius that your abilities make you a danger to others makes you doubt yourself. Your capabilities. Your strength. When you haven't even been taught to control them properly keeps you on a leash. On his leash."

Watching Hex laughing with Serah and the other L'cie brought a smile to both their respective siblings' faces. The redhead turned and gave a brilliant grin toward her older sister, two of her arms on the left side reaching up in a wave. Lightning watched the Pulsian carefully before choosing her next words.

"Caius seeks to go to war. The likes of you and I would be fine, we are both more than capable of defending ourselves. Them however? Not so much. Look at them and tell me how such a strike on Sanctum would benefit our kind?" Her question was firm, but voice soft.

Fang clenched her jaw and looked away. "It wouldn't." She replied simply, not wanting to elaborate. She walked out of the room in silence, both Lightning and Hex watching her leave.

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you know that this weekend in my town there is an entire festival based on garlic bread? That's just fantastic. Here's a chapter to celebrate the joy and glory that is garlic bread.

"Hello," a shy voice called out, bringing Fang from her thoughts. She was perched on the roof of the mansion, smoking a cigarette. It seemed that she couldn't catch a moment of peace in this place, but the voice was unfamiliar. Turning her head slowly, she scanned the surroundings until her gaze landed on a short boy hiding by the nearby chimney. Fang stubbed out the cigarette and gave him a small wave.

"Hey there little dude, what are you doing up here? Don't be shy, I don't bite."

"Not what it looked like the other day. With Lightning, I mean."

It was a clipped response but one that Fang didn't try to defend. She knew exactly how she would have looked with that stunt she pulled. She gave a half-hearted shrug and took a drink from her can of soda, frowning at the lack of liquid from within. After crushing the empty can with her claws and throwing it over the edge with a sigh, Fang turned to find the shy teen vanishing from the roof in a puff of smoke. "Huh. Guess I do bite then." She muttered to herself, staring back out to the grounds beyond.

Another puff of smoke filtered through the air and the boy had returned, awkwardly handing out a fresh, cool can while avoiding eye contact. "You were empty. I come up here to read. Not usually anyone else up here."

Fang took it gratefully, moving slowly so as not to startle the young L'cie into vanishing. This was the first time she'd managed to get a proper look at him, the last few times he was often hidden beneath a hoodie. His blue skin was a similar shade to her own and she could tell from the darting of his eyes that he was comparing the colour of her arms. "Name's Fang."

"Funny name for someone who supposedly doesn't bite... Um. Sorry. Hope. My name is Hope."

A low chuckle emanated from Fang as she cracked the can. "Come on, kid. What's your  _real_  name?" The boy's cheeks grew a darker shade of blue as he stared at his four-digit hands. Three fingers and a thumb on each hand flexed and he gave a tiny smile as a spaded tail came into view, mildly startling the brunette.

"Diabolos. Seemed fitting, seeing as I already look like a demon anyway."

 _Ah_. Coming to the conclusion that he was incredibly self-conscious about his appearance, Fang hummed to herself, trying to figure out the safest approach for the young boy. He winced at the hand clapping his shoulder, Fang as always diligent to avoid hurting anyone with her claws. "That's a badarse name, kid. But why don't you have the attitude to go with it?"

There was no response, his yellow eyes darting away. After a while he shrugged and took his gloves off, revealing his blue hands. They trembled a little and Fang couldn't help but feel for the kid. "How long you been out as a L'cie?" She asked, a little gentler.

"About a year or so."

"Ah, so still getting used to everything, right? Can't blame ya, really," she paused, shifting into her other form. Her fiery mane spilled down her back and Hope gasped, scrambling back a little. "It's hard work to look this good."

After a few more moments of silence, Hope finally cracked, giving her a small smile and a quiet laugh. It tapered off as he slumped his shoulders, a long sigh escaping him. "At least you can turn back into something that looks human."

"True, but why be human when I can be more? We're gods, you and me. I mean shit, little guy. You can go anywhere you set your mind to. Literally. That's cool as hell."

Hope clenched his jaw and frowned, not wanting to look at her. He had been warned by Sazh to be wary of any of Fang's speeches, that they likely would have come from Caius himself. Yet the appeal of her words made him realise why the warning would have been there. He wondered if this was the party line that lured young, lost L'cie into the fold before the intentions started to become more insidious. A single digit crept into his vision, Fang waggling her claw at him to get his attention.

"You shouldn't have to hide who you are, Hope. Or make excuses, or placate everyone around you. Humanity in general is shit."

"Sazh warned me about your hatred of humanity speeches, you know."

Fang scoffed and rolled her eyes. " _Sazh_  gives speeches. I speak truth. And I am talkin' about the greater encompassing shitness. If it weren't for the emergent L'cie, it'd be over somethin' else. The colour of someone's skin, the fact that some of us are from Gran Pulse and not Cocoon. The fact that some women like women, some men like men, some like both or none at all. The fact that some gods are different to their gods. Humanity have always and  _will_  always find reasons to be shit to each other instead of ways to reach out. I guarantee you if aliens showed up on the lawn tomorrow the populous would immediately find twenty reasons to hate 'em."

Hope tried, but couldn't find fault with her words. Now he really knew why Sazh warned him about anything she'd try to say along these lines, as she made some valid points. It was just a shame that extremism lay beyond them. He glanced over at Fang's shifted form and sighed. He wished he could look that dangerous, it might make him feel more confident.

"I've seen the face of humanity and experienced their cruelty first hand, you know." Fang said quietly, shifting her form back to something more human and pulling up her shirt, revealing a landscape of scars across her abdomen. "Humans are cruel, but we're stronger. They will kick us while we're down, but we'll keep getting back up. And when you've got a bunch like these guys around you, they won't let somethin' like this happen to you. You've got strength in yourself, Hope. But you can also find strength in your family here. Let them build you up, show you the person you really are."

Hope certainly wasn't expecting that kind of response, especially from someone that held a lot of animosity towards Sazh's methods and stance regarding his approach with L'cie. He looked at her curiously, her human face contrasting with the blue arms peeking from under the sleeves of her jacket. "What about your family, Fang?"

What a complex question from a small person. Fang's expression grew dark, her heart aching at the reminder of her loneliness. Now would be the time that Gadot would tell her to stop being so mopey and hand her a beer. Or Caius would drag her into the yard and spar until the exhaustion took over her awareness rather than her problems. Or Lebreau would whisper terrible jokes into her ear with that Basilisk voice of hers and have Fang rolling around the floor in stitches, her previous gloom erased from her mind. She hated that the cost of Serah's freedom was everything and everyone she knew, Vanille being the exception. And even that was tenuous with the way they were around each other.

There was a part of Fang that wondered if it would be easier just to walk into a Sanctum HQ with her hands up and let them execute her. That hollow feeling in her chest just grew, and she ran her tongue along one of her canines in a vain attempt to rid herself of her melancholy.

"I tried to kill my sister when I first awakened, and any of my brothers and sisters wouldn't help me now that I turned my back on them. I know I did the right thing, getting Serah out of there. This place is better for her, as much as it grinds on me. But I don't think I'm going to find that same family here."

She gave Hope another gentle pat on the back and stood up with a stretch. She was done talking. "Anyway, I've taken up enough of your readin' time, kid." Fang gave him a lazy salute and jumped from the roof. Hope crawled to the edge and watched her land effortlessly far below. The shifter shoved her hands in her pockets and walked off across the grounds, darkness settling on her thoughts.

* * *

 

It should be so easy, all things considered. Vanille was alive, and safe, and happy. Reunited with her sister who had seemingly forgiven her for what she couldn't control, and wanting to reconnect and get back to the closeness they once had. But Fang couldn't stop flinching around the young Pulsian, couldn't stop the guilt searing her heart every time she looked at her sister's face.

Serah had been a good friend. That she was in a place where she would be safe  _should_  have been something that made Fang happy. Etro knows, Serah tried to include her in things, make her feel welcomed in this new place, but the more she tried the more Fang seemed to withdraw, sending her on her way back with the other L'cie with a sad smile.

If anything, the longer she stayed around the people she cared about, the more miserable Fang became. The louder Caius' voice would echo in her head about her being a mindless beast, the worse the nightmares got. Even her own sister was at a loss of how to reach her. Hex at one point about a month in had made a comment to Sazh that Fang was beginning to look like a caged animal, immediately regretting her choice of words when her sister stood in the doorway, hearing the entire conversation. She withdrew even more after that, just aimlessly wandering the Haven grounds or staring at the ceiling on her bed.

Lightning had heard the screams from Fang's room, as the Pulsian woke from her frequent nightmares. She found herself starting to feel sorry for the shifter, knowing that being here couldn't be easy for someone that has likely lived a life of violence in one form or another. She sat in the library, reading a book while in one of her more contemplative moods but her distracted mind kept taking her thoughts back to the abrasive brunette. Spying both Serah and Hex in the corner conspiring to find ways to get Fang to be included, she rolled her eyes.

If the Pulsian wasn't interested in opening up, any amount of forcing her was just going to push her further away. If Lightning was being honest, it reminded her of when she first arrived at the Haven, always ready to bolt at any given moment. Remembering how the others tried to do the same thing that her sister and friend were attempting to do with Fang now gave her an uneasy feeling in her stomach. Whatever Fang had gone through in her life, this kind of teamwork-centric love-fest wasn't going to be the right way to go about it.

Serah sat down on the seat next to her sister and sighed, resting her head against Lightning's shoulder. "I know you don't care, but I just don't know how to get through to Fang."

"It's not that I don't  _care_ , Serah," Lightning replied, exasperated at the constant accusations that she was some sort of surly, prickly icicle. Well, maybe she was, she corrected herself, but that was no need for everyone else to jump to those sorts of conclusions. "It's just that you're over-thinking it. She doesn't seem that complicated, so I don't know why you two are trying to cook up elaborate schemes.  _Again_  might I add, Hex."

The redhead gulped and looked away, knowing full well that Lightning was referring to all the ridiculous shenanigans she had gotten into trying to win the elder pinkette over. When Hex had first arrived, it was about a year after Lightning had decided to make the Haven a permanent home. Until the redhead had come crashing into her life, Lightning had otherwise kept to a solitary existence, just content with not running. But Hex wouldn't allow it.

"Yeah well one of my  _schemes_  must have gotten through to you seeing as you're nice to me now." Hex retorted with a smirk. Lightning scoffed and shook her head, trying to figure out a more tactful way to explain herself without upsetting anyone.

"What I mean is… She needs an outlet. You can tell Fang is bored out of her mind here, if she leaves she runs the risk of being caught by either Caius or the Sanctum, but if she stays she runs the risk of hurting someone because she can't control herself."

Hex straightened her spine to give herself some extra height, all hands landing on her hips. "If you think that Fang is some sort of dangerous –mpfh!" Lightning clamped a hand over Hex's mouth to stop her protesting.

"I don't mean that at  _all_ , but it's what  _she_ thinks. And trying to do this whole group togetherness crap isn't going to get someone who has gone it alone for so long to suddenly jump in and be a team player."

"Hmph. Well if you're so smart,  _you_  do it then."

Somehow, Lightning had a feeling that this was Hex's plan all along, and she sighed before closing her book. She tried to stare the redhead down but that challenging gaze niggled at her competitive nature, itching to prove her point. "Fine. But you owe me."

Leaving her conspiring sister and friend in the library, Lightning zipped off to her room and got changed into her sports gear. Giving herself a cursory glance in the mirror she shrugged and slung a towel over her shoulder. "Yep. This was absolutely planned."

Meandering the long way through the mansion, she found Fang exactly where she thought she'd be, looking defeated on the couch, idly channel surfing with whatever daytime television could offer. Lightning made a bit of noise, dragging her feet as she walked past. Not that she needed to, based on what she knew about Fang's heightened senses. Regardless, it had the desired effect, catching the Pulsian's attention. Possibly in the wrong way considering how her eyes quickly raked over the exposed parts of Lightning's body from her gym wear.

"You look like you're dressed for success. Where you headed?" Fang asked, curious.

"Gym. Gotta do something other than sit around here listening to  _your_  sister talk about books and boys with  _my_  sister all day."

Fang gave a small but genuine laugh, knowing full well that it was a not-so-subtle dig at her recent melancholy. Over the last month the two had an uneasy truce since that day in the forest, though Fang still kept her distance from any interactions with all of them. "So how far out of town is it?" She asked, feeling a little jealous that not everyone was house-bound.

"Out of town? It's just downstairs. I asked for Sazh to install it a couple of years ago to keep fitness levels for all students up."

"For real? Huh. I didn't notice. That's… That's pretty cool."

They remained silent for a few moments, staring at each other until Lightning began to shift her weight onto her other foot. "Anyway. It's downstairs and next to the auditorium if you're ever needing to work off any restlessness." She shrugged and left the room, Fang watching her depart.

The Pulsian sat there on the couch for a few more minutes before sighing and dragging herself from it. "Fuck it. May as well do something  _other than sit around_." She grumbled. After she had grabbed a change of clothes from her assigned room, Fang made her way down to where she knew the auditorium was, finding the gym right where she was directed.

Entering the room, she was pleased to find a decent setup, with all sorts of equipment to target different disciplines and goals. Or, as Fang noted with mild amusement, different levels of stubbornness. Lightning was over on the weight bench, having a hard time with the bar. From what Fang could tell, she had over-stacked the weights and now was struggling to get it back on the rack. The Pulsian dashed over and caught the bar effortlessly, giving Lightning a chastising look.

"You know, if you want to kill yourself there are probably easier ways to go than bein' crushed by a barbell." Fang drawled, placing the bar back onto the stand with minimal fuss. Lightning gave a small grin and sat up, flexing her fingers.

"Well Sazh did say I was all speed and no strength." Lightning replied sardonically, internally pleased that her plan had worked. She had timed it perfectly so that the moment she had begun to "struggle" with the weights would be when Fang would walk in and be… persuaded to assist. She eyed the brunette's shifted torso and took a moment to observe the plated blue and red muscle that looked inhuman. Well, she may as well make use of that strength while she was being roped into this mad scheme to satisfy her sister and friend. "No idea what I'm doing wrong though," Lightning said innocently.

Fang clicked her tongue at her and shook her head. "Well your form's off. All you're gonna do is injure yourself with the way you're liftin' shit." She bit her lip and took a look around the gym. There wasn't anyone else there, just the two of them. So if she  _were_  to help the elemental, just for something to do, nobody would witness it. Nobody else there to give her hell for caving to someone that has because of that aforementioned  _speed_ had handed Fang her arse on more than one occasion.

"Here, I got nothin' better to do today, if you want I'll help you run through a few formations that won't lead to a week's worth of ice baths to recover. You know, if you want." She gripped the bar carefully as the pinkette took hold of the bar as well.

With a quick glance Lightning noted that one of the brunette's arms had returned to a more human appearance, her left bicep showing off a wicked tribal tattoo of a beastial maw. It somehow managed to make her look even more intimidating than the full shifted form she had spied that day on the mountains. Still. Perhaps if Fang was less focused on maintaining a line of defence all the time, she could relax and even fully return to a human form. Lightning had yet to figure out whether the semi-shifted appearance was intentional or something the woman wasn't able to completely control.

Lightning watched the Pulsian carefully for any signs of animosity and when she found none, nodded in acknowledgement. "It would… Be appreciated."

"Though if you give me any shit about how you melted my boots to the pavement you're on your own, you giant cattle prod."

The smallest of smiles twitched at Lightning's lips as she extended her middle finger off the bar. Fang merely laughed and gave the pinkette a lop-sided grin of her own. "Alright come on, we'll start with five reps and see how you feel after that."

From another room, Serah and Hex watched the interaction from the security camera network the redhead had hacked. Serah gripped Hex by the shoulder, positively beaming.

"Gods, Hex. I don't know who is the bigger genius here- my sister, for finding a way to rope Fang into something other than moping, or you for coercing them both by way of sheer manipulation."

"You're welcome. I take payment in cake form."


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally sorted out what I'm wearing to the wedding. Wardrobe crisis over, we can all go about our business. Here's a friggin huge chapter.

"Thanks for the tip, I'll rendezvous at the location and see if I can pick him up before Sanctum takes the kid to a blackout site."

Lightning clipped her device closed, pocketing it with a frown. One of her contacts had gotten in touch with a lead on a newly awakened L'cie with potentially dangerous powers. But Sazh was away on a business trip, and hadn't authorised any away missions in his absence. Besides, she was already in enough trouble for her last "rescue mission" to pick up Serah.

Fang rounded the corner and almost bumped into the elemental, causing Lightning's scowl to deepen. "Woah, sorry there lightbulb," Fang apologised, slipping in her favourite hobby of calling Lightning anything but her name to get a rise out of her. The duo had found some common ground between their respective siblings, and had been convening in the gym room over the last few weeks. There was slow progress, while still both wary of each other conversations became less stilted as time pressed on. Still, at this point their amicable nature was strained thin at best, so Fang decided to tread carefully. Almost. "Hey. Why do you look like someone's given you a blackout?"

"Really? A blackout. You been working on that long?" Lightning quipped with a roll of her eyes.

With a shrug of dismissiveness, Fang folded her arms and leant against the wall. "Long enough, gotta keep my material fresh. So, what's with the storm clouds hoverin' on your face?"

A million different reasons flew through Lightning's mind as to why she should keep her mouth shut around a Valhalla devout that specialised in this exact issue. There was a list a mile long of L'cie that Fang had gotten to before the Haven had even gotten wind of their existence. She suspected they had a psychic or seer in Valhalla's ranks, but couldn't prove it. When Fang wasn't being an aggressive bastard, Lightning found in moments when the shifter let her guard down she was eloquent, intelligent and dare she admit it, strangely charming. No wonder there were so many that flocked to Valhalla's message when she was their deliverer.

Given that Sazh wasn't there, Lightning had nobody else to talk to about her frustrations. If Fang was lending an ear, she'd take it. "There's… Been a complication with a newly awakened L'cie. Another elemental. They caused a bit of damage, flooded a shopping mall. Sanctum is closing in on them as we speak and the youth will be in custody by nightfall. They'll keep him at a holding facility deep in the forest about four hours from here until the morning then seek to move him to a hidden site off continent, never to be seen again."

Incredulous, the Pulsian stared at Lightning like she'd grown a second head. "Aaaaand you're standing around here letting him get taken, why exactly?"

"There's no  _missions_  approved without Sazh's go ahead."

Fang huffed and looked around. There was nobody else but them in the corridor so had no issues raising her voice. "So you're just gonna sit on your hands and do nothing because daddy didn't say go? Fuck that, if you won't go, give me the address and I'll go rescue him myself."

Knowing the line she walked and the truce she seemed to have with the elemental was tenuous at best, Fang was careful in her movements and softened her expression. She stepped closer and nudged the pinkette with her hip, giving her most charming grin she could manage. "Come on, Light. Since when have you ever shied away from a fight?"

That was new. Fang not trying to push Lightning's buttons, and even called her by her name. Albeit a short-hand version but at this point she'd take what she could get. She flinched as Fang swung a casual arm around her and ignored how much tension ran through her own body at the contact. When Lightning glanced up at Fang she was met with a brilliant, albeit tactical smile. The Pulsian gave her a squeeze and leant in close. "We could go together. You and me. Rescue the kid and be back by breakfast in the morning. Sazh would never have to know, we can just bribe the kid to say he rocked up while the chicken wing was away."

There it was. Lightning wasn't stupid. She knew this was Fang's charm dialled up to eleven- that same smile she'd use to convince L'cie to do just about anything. Problem was, she wasn't finding herself immune to it. Before her common sense could prevail, she felt herself smiling at the brunette and nudged her with her elbow. "Alright then, let's go be heroes."

Fang grinned wider and grabbed Lightning by the wrist, dragging her off to the garage. Worrying her lip with her teeth, Lightning wondered just how much trouble she could have gotten into as a kid if she had someone like Fang by her side. Someone that with that disarming grin could likely have convinced Lightning to get into all sorts of trouble. She remembered she  _did_  have a friend like her, and they  _did_  get into trouble. Far too much trouble for their parents' liking.

Letting go of Lightning's hand, Fang slid over the bonnet of the nearest car, clearly showing off. Priding herself on being a woman of action, right now Fang was going to act. Even if that action was going to get her into a whole heap of trouble from Sazh, especially considering she was about to hot wire one of his cars. But this was something she could do. Right now she felt alive. More awake and aware and ready to go than she had in a month or more. This was something that wasn't sitting around moping about her general existence.

As she began to fiddle with the wiring, Fang caught the disparaging glare she was receiving and rolled her eyes. "What? Just because you can get across town in the blink of an eye doesn't mean the rest of us are as light on our feet. Ask for forgiveness, not permission, sweetheart. You'll get more done that way."

Pursing her lips, Lightning zipped back to her room and grabbed two masks and got changed into her tactical gear in a hurry. The sleek black conductive material helped Lightning's speed and didn't overload her powers, so was a safer option should they wind up in trouble out in the world. If Fang ever decided to stick around, she might look into getting her a "uniform" of sorts.

Appearing back in the garage, Lightning slipped into the open door with a shrug and threw the mask at Fang. "If we're doing this, we need to at least handle our anonymity. I'm not rescuing this L'cie only to have you taken in his place, Hex would kill me."

With a spark from Lightning's fingertips the car suddenly purred to life, rendering Fang's work obsolete. Instead of being annoyed, the Pulsian leant back and gave her a wink. "Nice work, Sunshine. We might make a real L'cie out of you yet." Fang hit the accelerator and drove out of the garage, speeding up as soon as they hit the road. Lightning cast an uneasy glance back at the mansion as they left, knowing full well the consequences if they failed. Or hell, even if they succeeded. Sazh was probably going to have her head for this.

They drove in silence for a time, neither seemingly able to start a conversation, until the shifter got the courage to speak up. "Hey, listen." Fang said quietly once they had been driving for a while, breaking the silence. "I'm... Sorry that I keep giving the Haven's ideologies shit. I... never agreed with the pacifist mentality when I was here briefly as a kid, so I jumped at the chance to go with Caius when he preferred the more... Proactive approach. I'm just grateful that V...Hex has had someone to look out for her being here. And I'm sorry for that shit I pulled on you in the field that day. I probably could have found a less confrontational way to make a point."

Of all possible smart-ass comments she could have made, Lightning definitely wasn't prepared for an apology. Then again, she couldn't exactly fault Fang's position. Not entirely, given that they were more than taking a  _proactive approach_ off their own initiative. She took a breath and stared straight ahead at the road. "You make it sound like I agree with him on everything we do at the Haven."

"Well don't you?"

"I'm here with you now, aren't I?"

"Hm. Valid point."

Lightning remained quiet, feeling Fang gazing at her curiously. She turned her head and the two made eye contact, before Fang turned away with a smile. "Well, if I'm gonna have someone with me on this rescue run, I'm glad it's someone that can go toe to toe with me."

"Toe to toe? Haven't I handed you your ass on more than one occasion? Regardless of your alleged  _information_   _gathering_?"

"Let's call it a draw."

"Right..." Lightning replied with a chuckle. She relaxed a little in the seat and leant her head against her hand, watching the Pulsian with interest. The fact that they were doing something potentially dangerous… Definitely rebellious and likely stupid, seemed to lighten Fang's mood considerably. Lightning smiled to herself as she thought about how this was the most animated she'd seen her since the shifter had arrived. "But to answer your question, no. I don't agree with everything he says."

Fang inclined her head, tilting it to the side as her jade eyes grew brighter at the words. If Lightning didn't find the shifter so grating, she might have spared a thought that Fang was actually cute when she shut up. The Pulsian didn't say anything and gestured for her to continue.

"Caius is what happens when ideologies become extremism, but Sazh sitting in his mansion sprouting philosophy of peace isn't saving the L'cie that are in the outside world, suffering. I was one, after all. My father is a Sanctum supporter, a Purist. Thinks L'cies are abominations. I was terrified when he found out, so I ran. Spent three years on the streets after my powers manifested. Who knows," Lightning paused with a low chuckle, "maybe I'd have been by your side if Caius had have gotten to me first."

Fang laughed and tapped her claws along the steering wheel. "I... Actually think I would have liked that. You're a pain in the arse, Lightning. But you're one of the more capable L'cie I've come across. Would have been cool to see what kind of hell we could have raised together."

"We're in a car together to infiltrate a Sanctum facility. I think you're about to find out."

"True that."

The brunette parked the truck in the forest, far away from the makeshift camp and killed the engine. Fang took a breath and turned to the elemental in the darkness. "Hey, whatever happens, get the kid then zip them back here. Don't wait for me." Her exit from the truck was halted by a firm and warm hand on her shoulder.

"We're in the deep end together here, Fang. We're all getting out or not at all."

With a hard swallow Fang nodded slowly, watching the pinkette carefully. Brave words from a L'cie who meant to sever her head from her shoulders with a bolt of electricity not too long ago. Fang shrugged to herself, taking it as a victory of sorts. They had to trust each other if they were going to survive and get this L'cie out alive. The two women got out of the truck together and crept towards the facility. When the camp came into view, Lightning sucked in a breath at the sheer amount of military presence and cursed.

"Goddess, how are we meant to get through all of that? Where would we even begin to find this L'cie?" A bitter, wry chuckle came from next to her and she turned to find Fang with a set jaw and the blue skin etching slowly up her neck to her face. "Fang?"

"Huh. Sorry. I uh... I've got good reason to take issue with Sanctum and everything they represent. You may well see evidence for why I... Disagree with Sazh's philosophy when you witness what they do here. We had infiltrated a facility like this a few years ago to rescue a kid that had the ability to absorb radiation, redirect it. In retrospect I can see now that he was likely gonna wind up as Caius' new weapon. He fixed up Valhalla then got kidnapped by these Sanctum bastards, so we had to come after him."

"Did you... Find him?"

"We gave what was left of him a proper burial."

Lightning fell silent, the horror-filled realization making her sick to her stomach. No wonder Fang was so passionate about freedom for all L'cie when she was out here seeing the worst of humanity time and time again. No wonder she was so aggressive about the Haven sitting safely in their mansion. It made her uncomfortable to see the other side of the argument and find it plausible. Lightning reached over and clasped Fang's wrist. "We won't let it happen again." She said resolutely, and with a determined nod from the shifter they set off on their self-imposed mission.

Donning the masks and Lightning drawing the hoods over her head, they crept towards the small compound, busy with activity from the troops. Fang expertly sliced a hole in the chain link fence on the outer perimeter, careful not to set off any proximity alarms with a strategically placed electrical discharge from Lightning. They stalked through the shadows searching out the containment barracks.

Fang gave a cheeky grin beneath the mask and held up a single claw as she slid underneath a large military vehicle, prying open the armour plating and cutting the fuel line. Diesel splashed out onto the ground, Fang shuffling back quickly to avoid being soaked. She slid out from under the vehicle expecting a chastising glare but instead found a twinkle of mischievous intent in those bright cerulean eyes.

"Nice. Good idea. Let's take a moment to incapacitate the rest of the vehicles, as many as we can. It'll make our escape easier when the alarms inevitably sound." Lightning whispered with a smile. The two worked in tandem, Lightning shorting out spark plugs while Fang crawled under the APCs and cut brake lines, fuel pumps, whatever she could to slow Sanctum down.

"Lightning, over there. Hangar. If they get anything in the air they'll be able to track us." Fang hissed, moving towards it as silently as she could. The pinkette followed and with a quiet click of her fingers shorted out the electrics in the cockpit. Fang pulled her mask down and grinned, an expression that Lightning couldn't help but mirror. The shifter was enjoying herself. It was the first time since they'd met that Lightning had ever seen her smile. Inwardly, she decided she liked it. If she had to risk her life every now and again just to see it, she was happy for the adrenaline rush.

"Think we've done enough damage to crash this party?" Fang asked, pulling the mask back onto her face and drawing the hood over her head. Lightning shook her head and motioned for Fang to duck. Bringing her hands forward she called forth a massive amount of electricity and it lit up her eyes like neon.

"Get ready to run for the barracks."

Shunting her arms forward, Lightning let off a flurry of electricity, causing a huge explosive crack to sound out through the compound. The facility was suddenly plunged into darkness and voices started shouting out from outside. Lightning let a little electricity dance around her arms to light their surroundings but Fang clamped her hand around it, snuffing it out with a quiet grunt.

"Don't. Unless you need it to see. My vision's fine in the dar- Look out!" Fang darted forward and blocked a baton swing with her arm, grabbing at the Sanctum troopers wrist and pulling it back behind him. With a snarl she whipped around behind him and put him into a headlock, ready to snap his neck.

"Stop! Don't, Fang. No fatalities." Lightning hissed, her eyes darting between hers and the panicked eyes of the Sanctum soldier. Her gaze softened and she took a few slow steps forward, reaching out gently. "Please. I know how much they have wronged us, but kill him and it proves them all right about us. It'll prove Caius right about you."

Fang growled though the sound was more contemplative than aggressive, before she moved her hand around with a sigh and clamped it over the man's nose and mouth. After a brief moment of struggling he fell unconscious, Fang dropping him unceremoniously to the floor. "You win this round, Lightning."

"Thank you, and call me Light." The elemental replied, pleased she'd managed to get through. For once. "I'll be back in a second." She flashed away in a crackling of electricity, returning seconds later with a blue-haired boy in her arms, unconscious.

At this point, the scurrying of soldiers could be heard heading in their direction, and the two women spared a glance at one another. "Go, I'll hold them off, get him out of here." Fang snapped, Lightning shaking her head in protest. The door blew open and the first of the troops barged in, immediately opening fire. The shifter tackled Lightning out of the way with a snarl, her face fully changing into her bestial form. "I said go! There's no time!"

Lightning ground her teeth in her head but turned away. She sprinted from the hangar with the teenager in tow, careful with his neck so as not to snap it from the speed she was running at. Emerging from the forest to find the car still intact and hidden, Lightning placed him carefully in the passenger seat.

Without any further hesitation, she zipped back into the compound, skidding to a halt in the underbrush when she found Fang surrounded by Sanctum soldiers. True to the brunette's word, Lightning couldn't see any fatalities, just a lot of injured troops and a lot of guns trained on the fully shifted form of Fang. Her breath hitched when she realised that Sanctum wasn't looking like they were going to take her in.

"Well, L'cie, we won't waste our time  _processing_  you, especially after your escapades at the diner. We're just going to put you down now instead. Any last words?" A silver-haired man sneered as he paced around in front of her.

While she expected some feeling of dread at his words, Fang could only feel relief. Maybe now she could stop fighting, stop running, and be at peace. She chuckled and spat blood from her mouth, looking him dead in the eyes.

"Sure I do.  _Come Day of Wrath, O Pulse L'Cie. Make of this day a brave epoch_. It's a fancy and long winded way of sayin' you can all go fu-"

Her brazen words were cut short by an electrical discharge lighting up the compound, blinding everyone in the vicinity. Suddenly she was dashing forward into the forest at an impossible speed, being carried by Lightning. The quick escape had dislocated her shoulder but considering she didn't have any bullets in her skull, it was naturally a step up from how Fang thought her evening was going to go. She struggled to keep her stomach settled as they came to an abrupt stop, the whole world spinning.

"Etro… I'm gonna be sick…" Fang complained as she staggered and fell to her knees, crawling over to a nearby tree.

"Fang… Your shoulder…" Lightning warned, getting a weakly held finger to silence her.

"Just give me… A sec… Will ya?" The shifter panted, before straightening up long enough to slam her shoulder hard into the tree. With a sickening click the bone popped back into place, Fang gritting her teeth and stifling any pained screams that would give away their position. Lightning rushed over to help her up, before Fang just grabbed her by her good arm and pulled her onto the ground, breathing heavily.

The Pulsian wrapped her arms around her, trying to calm her racing heart. She came so close to death, and once again even welcomed it. Yet when she was being pulled out of the fire by the elemental, there was a spark of hope that reignited her cold heart. Now all she felt was adrenaline, fear, relief and wonder all mixed in and vying for her attention, and all she could do was hang onto Lightning like a lifeline. Perhaps she wanted to stick around after all. Fang had to admit, they made a good team.

The pair started to laugh suddenly, the adrenaline making them both manic. Lightning stilled as she was held tight by the shaking Pulsian. There was something warm, safe and familiar about being in Fang's arms and Lightning blushed, gently pushing herself off of Fang before she could get too used to the feeling. Green eyes sparkled with intensity as they looked up at her, Fang grinning wildly. "Damn, Sunshine. Now  _that_  was a way to work the kinks out of my system. What a rush. You alright, Light?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." Lightning replied, suddenly feeling distant and strange. The excitement was wearing off and now all she could think of was the sheer amount of trouble they were going to be in if there were any fatalities. All she could think of was the blood all over Fang's face from the beating received while she had ran off with the teenager to get him to safety. All she could think of was the guns held to Fang's head, and that if she was a few seconds slower the shifter would be dead.

They hid in the bushes for a while, until they were certain they weren't followed as far out as they were. Fang grew quiet as she helped the pinkette up and into the cab, placing the young L'cie in between them. They drove in silence through the night, Lightning napping on occasion from the exhaustion. Her system was tapped out from the amount of exertion with her abilities. She woke as she felt the shifter brush a gentle claw along her arm to get her attention.

"Sorry. We're about back to the mansion. Figured we both need to be awake to smuggle the kid in. Hey, Light. You were… Real amazin' back there." Fang said as they approached the mansion in the grey dawn.

"Thanks for helping, I couldn't have done it without you."

"Sure you could have," Fang chuckled as she pulled the car into the garage and killed the engine. "You probably would have been back in time for dinner too and…. Aw fuck."

Lightning's eyes tracked up to see what has silenced Fang in such a profane manner and winced. Sazh was standing in the garage, wings flared and looking  _royally_  pissed. The others were standing around, awake and nervously fidgeting. "Lightnin'? Are we in trouble?"

"Yep."

They silently got out of the car, Fang carrying the young L'cie over to Snow. He took the teen down to the medical bay with Hex, who was constantly looking over her shoulder repeatedly at her sister's wounds as they left the garage. Meanwhile, Serah frowned at the two women, trying to figure out if she should be mad that they went off on their own on what appeared to be a dangerous mission. Or, relieved that they were getting along. Or, terrified that they were getting along. She hadn't quite figured it out yet. She decided to tactfully retreat, quickly following Hex to the lab.

"My office.  _Now._ " Sazh snapped, pointing at the doorway. Lightning and Fang meandered through the doorway, looking thoroughly chastised. He at least had the decency to shut and lock the door behind them before whirling on them both.

"Are. You. Kidding me? What the hell possessed you both to run off and play hero? You know you're not meant to be going off base unsanctioned, think of the damage you could have caused!"

"And think about the damage to that boy that would have happened if we didn't?" Fang retorted, angry that Sazh could try to take the highroad on this. "You  _know_  what Sanctum is capable of, you've  _seen_ it with the others. I wasn't about to sit back here and let another kid get turned to paste for the sake of science while you were out playing business trip!"

Sazh glared and twitched his wings in anger. "Fang, I allowed you to stay here so you could find safety and security with your  _sister_. Not to put the lives of fellow students at risk, or corrupt the others with Caius' brash ideologies."

His words hurt Lightning and she looked away, devastated that she had somehow managed to disappoint her mentor when she had only been trying to do the right thing. His words also riled Fang, who bared her teeth at him in anger.

"Hey, I haven't corrupted shit. Lightning is a grown-arse woman who is more than capable of thinking for herself. She did the right thing, even if things got a little out of hand. We saved that kid from a fate worse than death at the hands of the Sanctum. She gave the orders, knew when to stop, knew when to hustle. We saved that kid with no fatalities on either side, and a couple of beatings to the face is a price I will gladly pay again and again if one more life is saved."

The two squared off against one another in silence. She spared a quick glance at Lightning, finding the pinkette staring sadly at the floor. Fang's eyes narrowed as she caught his scent on the air. Surprisingly, what she picked up was fear. Was he afraid of her? Of bringing the wrath of the Sanctum to their doorstep? Or maybe what he really feared… Was that he was terrified of losing Lightning. He really had wound up as the father figure for all the kids in the Haven after all. Fang's gaze softened and she gave the elemental a small, encouraging smile.

"I won't speak for Lightning, any more than I am capable of  _corrupting_ her. But even if she doesn't see it that way, I  _know_ we did the right thing, and I'd happily do it again. I did it for her sister, I did it for this kid, I've done it for plenty of other lost souls that are just like u. And if you have a problem with it, I'll take my leave and you can explain my departure to my sister."

Fang finished her piece, staring blatantly at Sazh in outright defiance. His nostrils flared in anger as he exhaled start from his nose. "Two weeks. That's how long you're both losing phone, email and television privileges for." Sazh said finally after letting them both stew in silence for a few minutes. "You're both going to mop the entire length of this building by hand, no powers. Then you're polishing the bannisters on the stairs. And that's the last I want to hear about this. Next time you come to  _me._  Do you understand?"

Lightning nodded silently while Fang just gave a lazy salute with a roll of her eyes. The shifter raised an eyebrow and glared at the winged L'cie, incredulous. "Wait, you mean  _now_? You want us to clean right now? But we've been driving half the night and-"

"Your enemies don't wait for you to take a nap, Fang. I remember what Caius teaches. Maybe this will help you think twice about going off on your own again. Get started now and you'll be finished before lunch. Whatever you do for the rest of the day isn't my concern. Now outta my office, I need to lie down. I flew half the night from Luxerion back here when Hex called me to say you two were missing."

Fang narrowed her eyes and hissed at him through her teeth as the two women departed the room. They both left the office and made their way to the laundry, where all the cleaning equipment was kept. "Why the chores as punishment? Didn't realise I was bloody thirteen again and being grounded for sneaking out to see my best mate." She complained, making her way to the sink to wipe some of the blood off her skin.

There was a quiet laugh from next to her as Lightning reached into a cupboard to grab the first aid kit, motioning for Fang to sit on the bench. She pulled out the antiseptic and cloth and gently dabbed the blood from the shifter's face. "He says it gives us time to think, when we can't use our powers. The first time I was made to polish the stairs I thought I'd be a smartass and get it done in a matter of seconds. I... misjudged my abilities and ended up accidentally stripping the wood down to splinters from moving too fast. Everything had to be resurfaced."

"Nice. Bet that ruffled his damn feathers."

"You could certainly say that." Lightning replied quietly, realising she was standing between Fang's legs as the brunette sat on the bench. Focusing on tending to the wounds, Lightning remained silent as she put a few small lines of surgical tape across the cut above Fang's eyebrow. "Thanks for sticking up for me in there." She added as she finished up, freezing as Fang leant forward and gripped her by the shoulders.

"I meant every word of it, Light. We saved that kid's life today. You did the right thing. Even if sometimes the right thing doesn't feel right."

They packed up the med kit and then broke out the cleaning equipment to begin their punishment of chores. The duo worked tirelessly throughout the day, occasionally stealing glances at each other when they thought the other wasn't looking. Lightning was finding she had to shelve many of her previous misconceptions about the Pulsian, especially in the wake of what she had learnt from Serah's time with her. Even her own time with Fang.

The shifter was brash, aggressive, crude, violent and extraordinarily dangerous... But she was fiercely loyal to her fellow L'cie. Fang didn't want to risk her life to save that teen for glory, merely because she believed in keeping him safe from anyone who would seek him harm. Lightning was finding she had to re-evaluate a lot of things regarding this woman.

When the two reconvened in the early afternoon, both were exhausted and ready for bed. Fang found Lightning in the kitchen, sipping a tea with a contemplative expression. The Pulsian moved to the bench to boil the kettle to make her own, keeping Lightning in the corner of her vision. She too found she had to push back on the idea that The Haven was filled with pacifists, a conclusion she should have come to the first time she was fried by the cranky elemental out in the field. If she got past their rough start, Lightning wasn't all that bad. Maybe in another life they could have been friends. Maybe in this life she could work her way towards that.

"Listen Light... I... Thanks." Fang muttered quietly, waiting for the kettle to boil with folded arms. Lightning glanced up from her own tea and frowned.

"For what?"

There was no response for a moment, Fang staring at the doorway absently in silence. Lightning had all but given up on a response when the Pulsian cleared her throat and looked over.

"For lookin' after my sister... when I wasn't able to."

Lightning smiled and walked over to her, placing a reassuring hand on Fang's shoulder. It was a small gesture, but enough.

"Likewise, Fang."

The two stared at each other for a few moments before Fang scrunched her nose, looking worried as she felt the tiny hairs on the back of her neck raised. She tapped a claw against the bench and grimaced. "Light, did you ground before we got back? You know, ditch the excess build up?"

The elemental's face dropped and they both winced. There was a fizzle from the lights in the room before the mansion was plunged into darkness.

"... Shit."


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TEN CHAPTERS INNNNNNNNNNN oh my god its 3am I need to sleep.

 

Snow grunted with effort as he finally loosened the wheel on the car he worked on, smiling as he was finally victorious against the stubborn bolt. He wished Fang was around to help, she would have had it all unscrewed within a matter of seconds with her insanely impressive strength. She looked troubled this morning though, and apologised for her absence on here way out of the mansion.

Serah entered the garage, looking for him and waved once she spotted the elemental.

"Hey Serah, you're looking good this morning." He said with a grin and a wave, pulling himself up from the floor.

"And you look like you're covered from head to toe in grease."

"So what you're saying is I'm not getting a hug?"

The pair laughed as Serah sat on the hood of the car, watching him work. Snow glanced up from his work and stood, leaning against the car. "So um, Fang looked pretty upset when she came out of the bathroom last night, you think she's alright? She was meant to help me with the car this morning but took off like a shot." Snow asked, fiddling with a wrench in the garage. Serah bit her lip and fretted for the shifter, as always.

"The candles... Are they there because someone likes romance when they shower?" She asked, wondering where her friend had gotten off to.

The ice elemental gave her a strange look, raising his eyebrow in confusion. "No, they're there because as you saw last night, your sister likes to blow the electrics in the house. Well, not really likes to. But if she isn't careful she overcharges herself and takes out the fuses if she doesn't ground herself properly. Or forgets to do it, not that she'd ever admit to it."

While the explanation made sense, it was their presence that Serah concluded was likely the cause of Fang's distress. "They probably remind her of home. Back at Valhalla. We didn't always have working power, if there were any routine patrols nearby or storms we'd have to power down the facility to avoid detection or surges. We had a lot of candles around."

The memory triggered a strange sort of longing, even in Serah. She was surprised by the fact that a part of her missed her home back at the defunct nuclear plant, but the more she thought about it the more she became certain that it was because she saw Fang smile more there. Her shifter friend still seemed miserable here, and had only seemed to be clashing with Sazh and her sister on a regular basis. At least they were until recently, when the two women snuck off on their own to take on the Sanctum so they could rescue the new L'cie. She didn't know whether to be relieved or nervous that they seemed to work together well.

Speaking of, her sister appeared further down the hallway, guiding the new addition to their home on a tour of the facilities. Spotting the small group in the garage, Lightning brought the youth over.

"Hey buddy, good to see you up and about. How you feeling?" Snow asked as he waved them over, his smile broad and welcoming. The blue-haired teen waved his hand from side to side with a crinkle of his nose.

"So so. Still really dizzy. I uh... Never thought a place like this existed. Probably could have saved the damage bill on that mall if I had have come here first. So much for my shopping expedition, right? Sorry. My name is Yuj."

They made their introductions and Lightning took a couple of steps back with a satisfied smile. "Yuj, I've gotta go take care of some things. Snow, can you finish showing him the grounds?" The blonde nodded and Lightning took her leave, quietly exiting the garage.

Serah chased after her, and slid her hands around her sister's arm. "Hey you," she said cheerfully, ignoring the way Lightning's arm tensed at the contact. She waited until she felt the muscles relax and the elder Farron turned to her with a warm smile.

"Hey yourself. Sorry. I uh, had some problems being a bit too static a while back, kept giving everyone zaps when they touched me. Glad to see it seems to be dying down." Lightning replied, swinging an arm around her sister's shoulders. It felt so relieving to be together again, and it made her happy that Serah was safe, and adjusting well.

"So where you headed?" Serah asked, curious as to what had her sibling handing off the introductory tour to Snow. "Secret romantic rendezvous?"

"Serah. No. Just... No." Lightning sighed, rolling her eyes. "Just because Fang and I aren't trying to kill each other on a daily basis... Stop reading those books in the library!"

With an innocent flutter of her eyelashes, Serah leant back and smiled. "Even if you locked the door to the library I'd just blow the door."

"Fiend..."

The sister's walked a while in silence, Serah wearing a contemplative expression. "Still," she began with a gentle squeeze of Lightning's arm, "for as much trouble as you two got into, it did a lot to get Fang out of her slump. She's been hanging around more, getting to know the others, even making appearances at meal times."

Lightning had to agree with the observation. Fang  _had_ become more social, more relaxed, more open to conversation. Though the shifter was nowhere to be found last night, or this morning for that matter. Lightning was in the middle of searching for her when Sazh had pulled her aside to show Yuj through the mansion.

"Do you know where Fang is?" Lightning asked, trying not to sound as concerned as she was. The frown that crossed her sister's face didn't alleviate anything.

"Not sure. Snow said she looked upset last night, and left to go outside this morning instead of helping him with the mechanic work she'd promised."

Concern elevated into worry, and Lightning quickened her pace. "Come on, let's go find her."

* * *

 

"So, it took longer than expected, if I'm being honest." Fang growled, her arms folded in a defensive posture. Deep in the woods, she had hoped to keep anything far from the others.

"Because I'm trying to lead Caius elsewhere, Fang. But I'm running out of options."

The shifter glanced up, wary of all the traps that could be sprung. "Noel... Why help us?" She asked, admittedly curious. He had shown up in the bathroom last night while Fang had been washing her face. She directed him out here the following morning, come what may. At least she could count on him playing by the "rules" and not letting the other students get caught in the cross fire. Expecting an ambush, she was surprised to find him alone.

Noel began to pace, shadow wisps flicking off him as he moved. "What Caius wanted to do with Serah, to use her like that... It isn't right. I like Serah. She's a good person who doesn't deserve to be caught up in our mess. Caius... He's concocting other plans now, but he is still looking for her. For you. I've been throwing him off the trail with false sightings on the southern end of the continent. But... It's only a matter of time before he checks here. I came here to warn you."

"What would you have me do then? Where could we run to? Sanctum wants my head on a like as it is, not just Caius for my betrayal. Serah would refuse anyway, her sister is here. They're reunited. Noel... Vanille is here as well."

The shadow walker paused in his steps, almost tripping over his feet. "You serious? Well that certainly complicates things... Neither of you are going to leave, are you?"

Fang's jaw tightened as she stared at her friend. "If it comes down to it, I'll leave. Hopefully it'll throw them off the trail. Keep them all safe and-" she paused, her ears twitching at the sound of voices coming down the pathway nearby. "Shit. Make yourself scarce Noel. And... Thanks. The others, they alright?"

Noel gave a sad nod and deepened the shadows by a tree, stepping into the darkness. "Yeah. They miss you, Fang. We all do. Be safe."

Watching him leave and fumbling around in her jacket pocket, Fang pulled out a cigarette and lit it, taking a drag with a ragged breath. Forcing herself to maintain composure just in time for the Farron sisters to round the corner, she gave them a lazy wave as she leant against the rock.

"There you are! We were wondering where you'd gotten off to." Serah leapt forward and gave Fang a hug, plucking the cigarette from her hands and throwing it away. "You should quit, Fang. What have you got to be stressed about here?"

"Pink-haired menaces takin' my vices away, for one thing..." Fang muttered, her body still tense from her confrontation with Noel.

The rigid way Fang held herself wasn't lost on Lightning, who gently peeled her sister away and picked up the cigarette, handing it back over. "She can quit when she's ready to quit, Serah. I'd prefer you didn't set fire to the damn forest in the interim."

Serah pouted and kicked a stone from the path as Fang smiled a little at their antics. But then she felt a tightness in her chest at the fresh reminder that she was on borrowed time. Noel couldn't keep Caius chasing them in the opposite direction forever. They all started here together. Surely he would check here eventually. She took a few steps back and took a drag of her reclaimed cigarette, refusing to meet their eyes.

"Hey, Serah. Can you go make sure that Snow has actually showed Yuj through the grounds and not just still sitting on his ass in the garage?" Lightning asked pointedly, her eyes flicking to the path ahead towards the mansion. Serah thankfully took the hint and disappeared up the path with a wave and a wiggle of her eyebrows. Shaking her head, Lightning glanced back towards Fang and worried about her closed off demeanor. It was often frustrating, it felt like five steps forward and twenty paces back with her. Like picking a lock finally only to find another door behind it.

"You alright? You seem a little tense."

Fang squared her shoulders and put the cigarette out between her claws. "Yeah, fine. Just a lot on my mind today."

"Anything you want to talk about?" Lightning asked, moving closer to the shifter as slowly as she could. At first it looked like Fang was going to shut down, close off even further but then her shoulders sagged and she slumped against a nearby rock.

"Just feelin' like I'm on borrowed time at this point, love."

Lightning sat against the rock, keeping enough distance not to crowd her, but staying close. She couldn't get over how warm she was, sitting next to the shifter. "You're talking about Caius finding you?"

Fang blinked. "How did you..."

"You're not as mysterious as you think, Fang." Lightning joked with a smirk, bumping her with her shoulder. She was worried that the gesture was a little too personal but the small smile she managed to draw from the shifter made her relax a little. "Look. If he wants to come around here to pick a fight he's going to be left hurting. I'll make sure of it. We look after our own here, Fang."

"Finally starting to think of me as part of the team huh?" Fang chuckled wryly, trying to not sound as bitter as she felt. Lightning shrugged and pushed off from the stone, trying not to let the cold air get to her the further she got from the convenient heat source that was the shifter.

"Maybe if you start believing it yourself you might not be so willing and ready to run at the slightest problem. Lean on us a little, Fang. You've fought alone for long enough."

She left Fang to her thoughts, the brunette watching her leave with a curious gaze.

* * *

 

"Hex, I... I want to do something for Fang, as thanks for looking after Serah. And stop looking at me like that."

The redhead rested her head with her hands on either side of her face and fluttered her eyelashes innocently. "Like what, Lightning? I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."

"Just help me find something she would like and leave me to my suffering, will you? Preferably  _before_  you die from smugness?"

Hex sat up and tapped her chin. In all honesty she wasn't sure what to get for her sister. It had been over eight years since the two were together on a regular basis, anything she would have liked when she was a teenager wouldn't be the things she liked as an adult. "I'm... Actually not sure, Light. It's... Been a while." Hex replied, trying to avoid the sadness creeping into her voice. Lightning picked up on it however, realising that it was a particularly insensitive question to ask. She sat down next to the redhead and placed an arm around her shoulder.

"Why don't you tell me about what you remember? There might be something there that could give us a clue."

That question was even more dangerous than the last, Hex uncertain with how to proceed. She shrugged, drumming her fingers against the desk while her other two pairs of arms hugged herself. "Not much to tell. We moved to a town well south of here when we were kids, probably about two to three years before she disappeared. She liked her cartoons, her Pulsian Mythos comics and had few friends. Those she had kept close were more like family, like she had adopted them into her own clan."

The story was disarmingly familiar, parallel to her own childhood. When they had moved to Bodhum, Lightning knew nobody and kept to herself. She had her books, her sketching and only a small handful of friends. A best friend that she could count on until her family moved away, leaving her alone again. She had a stupid childhood crush on her best friend too, and losing her hurt terribly. Lightning vowed to never let anyone in again, to save herself from getting hurt. Yet here she was, trying to do a nice gesture for someone that had once tried to kill her several times over. Not that Lightning didn't give as good as she got, of course.

"What about food? Is there anything she likes?"

Hex hummed, thinking of anything of substance. This was the most involved she had seen Lightning about anyone beyond her sister and herself, she wasn't about to let the opportunity go to waste. Snapping her fingers on a few of her hands, she brightened as a memory stuck out in her mind. "Oh! There was this tiny, family run business way out near our home town that made amazing sandwiches, that used to make her real happy, but I doubt she would even remember that."

Lightning smiled and gave a shrug. "Tell me the name, we'll see."

Later in the afternoon, Fang was reading a magazine in the kitchen when a crackle of electricity made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Lightning appeared in the doorway, looking a little out of breath.

"Uh, hey." She drawled, giving the pinkette a once over. "You back from a run or somethin'?"

"Something like that," Lightning quipped with a raise of her eyebrow. She fished a sealed backpack off her shoulder and placed it down on the bench, drawing a curious glance from Fang. Opening an aluminium satchel from inside, she pulled out a sandwich and then fished a drink out from another pocket. Fang's eyes immediately widened, eyeing off the wrapper she hadn't seen in well over a decade.

"Is... Is that is that a sandwich from Sulyya Sam's Subs?" Fang asked, inhaling sharply as the sandwich was slid across the bench towards her.

"Yeah. I uh, I was told you really dug these as a kid. Behemoth steak and cheese, yeah?"

The smell was positively mouth-watering, and Fang reached out with her claws, trailing them along the wrapper. "You... You got this. For me."

"Yeah. No big deal."

"No big deal?" Fang repeated, disbelieving. "That's a twelve hundred mile trip. Each  _way_ , Light."

Lightning shrugged, giving a shy smile as she took a seat at the bench. "It was only an hour out of my day, I just hope it's still hot." She ignored the fact that the shop was only another three hundred miles from Bodhum. And that she used to go there on family trips with her friends as a kid so the establishment was well known to her.

"Anyway, enjoy it. As thanks for everything you did to keep Serah safe." Lightning explained with a bow, quickly turning to leave the kitchen.

"Hey, Light?" Fang's voice called after her, stopping her in her tracks. "This is... this is a pretty huge sandwich... Did... Did you want to split it with me? I mean you travelled all that way and everythin'..."

"Sure." Lightning replied with a shrug, sitting at the bench next to her. Fang smiled broadly as she unwrapped the food and split the portions, leaning over and gently bumping the pinkette with her shoulder.

"This is... This is real damn cool, Light. Can't believe you did this."

The smile was so broad and joyful, Lightning couldn't help but meet the expression with one of her own. She bit her lower lip as she gave the brunette a once over, noticing less and less of the blue skin covering her arms. Her smile faltered a little, noting the hint of a scar peeking from beneath the shirt on her abdomen.

"Hey, Fang? Can I ask a personal question?"

"You  _can,_ dunno if you'll be comfortable with a personal answer though."

Lightning swallowed a mouthful of food and tried to think of a way to ask that wouldn't be deemed offensive. "Do you... Um... The arms... And... Shifter stuff..."

"You're tryin' to ask if old blue makes an appearance because I like to look intimidating or because I can't control my abilities, right? You're shit at being tactful."

"Sorry." Lightning's eyes darted away and she turned to focus on the food in front of her. The claws entered her peripherals, vanishing into human-looking fingers as Fang took her gently by the jaw and brought her gaze back.

"To answer your question, it's a bit of both. It's harder to control when I'm not calm, in stressful situations, but I prefer it. Makes me feel safer when people take a few steps back when I walk in the room."

It took a couple of attempts to swallow before Lightning got rid of the feeling of a dry throat with Fang so close. When she wasn't being an asshole, Fang had a rakish charm to her that Lightning couldn't help but be drawn to. She realised the Pulsian still had a soft hold on her and coughed nervously, her breath hitching when Fang allowed her fingers to trail along her jaw as she withdrew her hand.

"Now, personal question that will probably ruin this lovely little moment we're sharing here... Why'd you only sporadically contact Serah? I didn't know where Vanille was or even if she was still alive until she was pickin' me up from the snow. I can't say I wouldn't do the same thing as you given what I did but... Why'd you hold out on her, or not come for her?"

The first instinct was to rage at the question, but Fang had at least pre-empted it and even said she would have likely done the same. Lightning took a few breaths and ignored the amused look from Fang as the shifter watched the electricity bounce off her skin. "Sorry. It's obviously a bad habit to be instinctively defensive. Truth be told I was... Scared." She paused, fiddling with the wrapper and gathering her thoughts.

"I somehow managed to hide my abilities for about six months after they manifested. But then… I slipped up. Let my mother see me messing around with electricity when I was meant to be getting ready for school. When my father heard her I… I was terrified of what it meant." The realisation had hit her full force and the panic rose with every step she heard her father take down the hallway. She never really thought he would be capable of hurting her but… Considering all the terrible things she had heard him say about L'cie, she wasn't willing to take the chance.

"I'm sorry, Light. Didn't mean to take you down the painful memories path on this fine day," Fang said quietly, reaching over and taking Lightning's hand gently.

"For all we fight about our differences, we really are stupidly similar, aren't we? Come on, let's finish this amazin' sandwich before it gets cold and get off the morose topics and shit." She had been growing far too fond of this elemental too quickly for her liking, but considering how protective she had been of Serah, she found herself reaching out to the elder Farron all the same. The longer Fang thought about it, the more she was ok with being ok here in the Haven.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I know. 11.45pm on the night before my wedding and I am posting a chapter. I am mental but also GOSH DARN IT I AM COMMITTED. Or should be committed. Either way, here's a chapter.

The blue-haired teen walked through the halls, accompanied by Snow who was chattering away about the various classes and training that were on offer. Yuj spied the two Farron sisters out in the field, working away and pointed towards them. "Hey, can we go check them out? I'm interested about the training you guys do here." It had been just over a month since he arrived, but most of the training had centred around controlling and suppressing the flare ups of his abilities. While essential, it was boring. He wanted to see the cooler stuff.

"Sure, buddy. Good to see how we work here." Snow replied, leading him outside. The blonde tried hard not to stare as Serah paused and wiped the sweat from her brow, catching her breath from the self defence classes her sibling was putting her through. "Hey guys, Yuj wanted to see how we do some of the more intensive training here."

Lightning nodded and threw a bottle of water towards Serah, signalling her to take a break. The younger Farron eagerly flopped onto the grass with a loud sigh, falling onto her back with a flourish. Serah closed her eyes for a few moments while listening to her sister discuss self defence methods. The training was different here, less focus on their powers and more in ways to diffuse without resorting to them. It wasn't like anything she had been subjected to at Valhalla. When she trained there, she learnt as much as she could about her abilities, and was taught about how the elementals worked with each other, as well as against.

A low, quiet laugh caught Serah's attention and she opened her eyes to find Fang looking down at her with an amused expression. "The resident electrician runnin' you ragged kiddo?" She asked with a twitch of her upper lip, sitting down beside the young pinkette. Serah huffed and sat up, drawing her knees to her chest.

"I haven't really used much of my powers, not lately." Serah sniffed, feeling surprisingly cooped up despite the huge, open grounds. A gentle claw took her by the jaw and she found herself staring into Fang's concerned eyes. The shifter rest the back of her hand against Serah's forehead and hummed.

"Ah. Thought you looked off this morning." Fang commented with a frown, leaping to her feet. "Come on, up. We're going to sort you out before you blow this place to Pulse and back."

Hex wandered over just in time to see her sister dragging Serah up and tugging her away from the rest of the group. Lightning's attention was drawn to them and she raised an eyebrow at their retreating forms. "Hex, what is your sister doing with my sister?"

"Fixing her up before your lack of powers-focused training puts a crater in your front fuckin' lawn." Fang yelled back, shaking her head in annoyance. "The fuck has Sazh been teaching you lot, honestly."

Lightning had to admit she was intrigued by where this was going, so wandered over to investigate. She figured that Valhalla's teachings would be more...  _hands on..._ And a part of her wanted to be shown. But she couldn't let go of her pride enough to ask. At least this way, she could live vicariously through her sister and keep her pride intact.

"Alright, little one. Close your eyes, focus on your breathing. Let's make some fireworks for everyone, don't be afraid to show off a little, Ok?" Fang added with a wink. Serah giggled and squared her shoulders, focusing a large ball of bright energy between her hands that grew with every breath. It skittered about in the air and the young pinkette struggled to keep it steady, a grimace appearing on her face. Fang hummed and tilted her head, curious. "Migraine, sweetheart? We have left it too long haven't we? Hold it steady. Snow? Come here a sec."

With a hesitant step, Snow lumbered over and nearly tripped over his feet as Fang grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him onto the ground next to them. "Right, I want you to visualise your hand dropping to about the temperature of the fridge. Don't go all ice cube on me, just enough to make your hand real cold." She instructed, Lightning watching on curiously. Fang kept prodding at his hand until she was satisfied, then guided his wrist over to cover Serah's eyes with his hand.

An audible sigh escaped the younger Farron, her posture relaxing immediately with Snow's hand against her face. "Feels good, don't it? Ok, Snow just keep your hand there for a moment darlin'. That's it. Good. Right. Serah? Let it fly."

The ball of energy shunted into the air before splitting off into smaller spheres, then again and again. They exploded into glittering lights that everyone watched in awe. Lightning couldn't help the amazed smile on her face as the energy dissipated, seeing a L'cie's abilities used to make something so beautiful. She saw how much her sister appeared far more relaxed, the posture far less rigid than when she'd first seen Serah in the morning.

"Serah, that was so Pretty! How did you learn that?" Hex asked, clapping her hands with glee.

"Oh, Fang showed me back at Valhalla." The young pinkette answered with a light blush.

" _Fang_  showed you?" Lightning repeated, incredulous. The shifter leant back on her hands with a look of mock offense on her face.

"You're lucky I'm startin' to like you, ya damned annoying transistor, or I might take that as an insult." Fang drawled, happy with the Lightning's appropriate level of embarrassment. "Just because Caius didn't teach me to hone my own shit doesn't mean we didn't sort out the elementals... You lot are the most bloody troublesome, after all. No wonder you're all so damn pent up and cranky all the time." Tapping her claw against her knee, Fang hummed and spied Sazh watching them from the edges of the field. "Oi, Sazh! Gonna take the kids for a swim in the river in the forest, that alright with you?"

The winged mentor tilted his head and shrugged. "Don't see why not, just be back before sundown so I can get help for dinner."

"All right! You heard the chicken wing, go get your bathers and get back here in five."

"Stop calling me that!"

The others all raced each other back to the mansion, leaving Lightning staring at Fang with a raised eyebrow. "That means you too sparky, go on," Fang urged with a wave of her claw. Lightning folded her arms with a twitch of her lips and stood there for a few seconds before vanishing in a blur. She reappeared seconds later in a pair of shorts and a white bikini top still in the same pose. Fang barked out laughter, trying to maintain eye contact. It wasn't easy, but she managed. Barely.

Lightning caught the struggle and suppressed a nervous cough. "So, what about your swimwear?"

A casual shrug was all that Fang was willing to give up for the time being, a calculated grin across her face. She waited in silence, forcing her eyes away from the exposed abdomen on display until everyone came back, towels and all. The group had even managed to wrangle Hope, who had reluctantly made an appearance.

They all wandered down towards the river, Yuj unconsciously speeding up the closer they got to the river. He ignored the knowing smile that spread across Fang's face and came to a stop by the water, suddenly feeling calmer than he had in weeks.

Lightning nudged Fang in the side and gave her a smile. "You seem to know your way around an elemental, Fang." She quipped, only mildly regretting the words when her unintended phrasing seemed to finally break the shifter's otherwise focused discipline of not letting her eyes wander. Fang's gaze raked over her form, and Lightning could even see her internally chastising herself for the break in concentration.

"I uh... Honestly the elemental L'cie caused us the most grief so we had to learn early on. The energy types need to release every now and again or they blow their lid, the ice and water types need to submerge or they get too sluggish."

"Hm, so where do I fit in, then?" Lightning asked, annoyed at Fang's apparent theory that she and the others like her were all slaves to their elements.

"You're in the same boat as your sister. Hence why you fuck up the electrics in the house when you don't ground." Fang replied with an exaggerated roll of her eyes. She moved forward and put little space between them, tapping the pinkette's sternum gently with a delicate claw. "It isn't just about getting rid of the excess energy, love. It's also about giving yourself the release you need."

Lightning grew uneasy at the closeness, but more so her regarding her body's own reactions to having Fang so near. She wanted her closer and it scared her. Instead, she took a step back, her defensive walls climbing back up rapidly as she folded her arms. "So, what's with the impromptu excursion to the river?" She asked curtly, electricity flicking off her skin.

Fang sighed, knowing she'd pushed the elemental too far from the small zaps jumping off Lightning's arms. It was usually a sign of nervousness or agitation. She shrugged and shifted her left arm back to a human form, sticking her finger and thumb in her mouth to give a whistle. The shrill sound drew everyone's attention and Fang stood a little straighter. She gave a sly glance towards Lightning and winked. "Now you get to see a true professional at work. Alright Yuj. First rule of elemental school is that it's all in your head. You elemental L'cie are visual creatures, which means the stronger your visualisation skills are, the more control you're gonna have on your powers. Observe. Serah? Charge your battery."

Serah nodded at the code word and brought her hands together, her brows knitted in concentration. The bright sphere grew in between her hands like before, but this time kept growing and growing until it was as large as a car. Yet the young pinkette balanced it effortlessly between her hands like it weighed nothing at all. At the snap of Fang's fingers, Serah made the sphere of energy condense until it dissipated into the air. Serah gave a hopeful glance at Fang and beamed at the appraising nod.

"Very good, little one. You have worked so hard to get to where you are. I'm real proud of you."

Lightning's jaw clenched at the words, and the affectionate ruffle of her sister's hair. While Fang went to chat to Yuj, Lightning watched her sister alongside the shifter and bristled. While it had been some time since she felt that way, seeing how familiar Fang was with her sister still infuriated her. It should have been  _her_  congratulating Serah.  _Her_ saying how proud she was. Lightning realised it wasn't Fang she was angry at, but herself. For leaving Serah in the first place, for just communicating via cryptic texts so as not to give away her location. She could try to convince herself as much as she could that her absence was to protect her sister, but Lightning knew in her heart it was because she was scared. By controlling just how Serah was still present in her life, she could avoid the heartache if her younger sibling hated her for being a L'cie and vanishing. It wasn't until Lightning had seen the news of her old school roof blown off that she realised just how stupid she'd been.

Hex stood beside her in silence, and used one of her many arms to subtly clasp Lightning's hand and hold it gently. The elemental looked down and realised that she wasn't the only one having sibling issues. "Do you think it gets any easier, Hex? That one day your sister will look at you without flinching? That Serah will be able to forgive me?"

There was a barely audible huff as the redhead let go of her hand and for a moment, and Lightning was worried she had said something wrong. "Fang will stop looking at me like she's terrified of hurting me when she stops being terrified of herself, and  _you_  will have your forgiveness when you forgive  _yourself_. Serah's already forgiven you a million times over. It's you who refuses to forgive yourself and push everyone away because you're scared of them leaving you." Hex replied as she prodded Lightning with at least two of her index fingers. "You can't always be the one to run, or to not let anyone else in. You say you see how Fang flinches every time she's around me? You flinch every time you find yourself getting close to my sister. To your sister. To anyone."

Whatever answer Lightning had anticipated, the surprisingly biting response threw her off balance. But what made her swallow hard was that when she glanced back at Fang, the shifter's eyes darted pointedly away. Lightning knew that Fang had heard every word. But was the young Pulsian wrong? No. Lightning knew that Hex was right. She and Fang  _had_  gotten more familiar over the last while, even so much as engaging in Fang's often flirtatious banter, much to Lightning's own surprise and fear. And like clockwork, every time she stepped in and became a little too familiar, Lightning reeled back and pushed Fang away. She was beginning to suspect it wasn't just a friendship she feared with the shifter. The last time she had any sort of inclination towards anyone was her stupid childhood crush on her friend, which was close to the same time her family abruptly moved away, back to Pulse. Lightning had vowed never to feel for anyone else again, to avoid getting hurt. But lately... It was getting harder and harder to keep her distance. She couldn't stop her heart from picking up a pace whenever Fang gave that ridiculous lop-sided grin of hers.

She watched with disbelief as Yuj managed to conjure up a steady stream form the river, floating through the air. Snow cheered and started turning it to crystals, making an ice rose to give to Serah. Lightning watched on, knowing she just needed to open the door and keep it open, not shut it every time someone tried to step in. Stop doubting herself and pulling away every time she started to enjoy herself.

"Now for something real cool, and you all better stand back for this. Light, come here." Fang called out, pulling the elemental abruptly from her thoughts. With a curious expression, Lightning moved over to Fang and held her breath, trying not to flinch when the shifter took her by the hand. "Ok, so Yuj, over here next to her. Right. So, next lesson, elements working together. You two are going to be a prime example. Water and electricity aren't normally a good mix, but in certain circumstances they can work together. Lightning, I want you to uh…  _Strike…_  That tree over there."

Biting the inside of her cheek to stifle the groan at yet another terrible joke at her expense, Lightning sighed and gave a dismissive wave of her hand. "My range isn't that far yet."

"I know. But his is. So Yuj, send a jet of water at that tree over there, and Lightning, I want you to hit the water instead."

Both raised their eyebrows at her, and then Hex for the delighted squeal she let out. With a shrug and a slow inhale, Yuj conjured water up and let it fly towards the tree. At the same time, Lightning focused her electricity on the stream and watched it crackle all the way up and hit the tree, singing it from leaf tips to roots.

"Woah." Yuj said, amazed and exhilarated at getting to let his powers loose. Fang smiled and gave him an approving clap on the back.

"You're damn right, mate. The beauty of science. And a little luck. If you're not forcing the direction of the current forward, Light… It can spring back and hurt you both so always be aware of the momentum and don't let it be forced backwards."

The others ran over and dragged Yuj over to the river bank, cheering and chattering excitedly. Lightning smiled softly at Fang and began to walk away with a glance behind her that she hoped would be interpreted to follow. Fang thankfully got the hint and gestured to Snow to mind everyone for a moment. The duo walked in silence for a while, Lightning seemingly debating with herself whether to air her thoughts.

Her mouth decided for her before her brain could catch up. "So what about you, then?" She asked, biting her lip as she realised just how dangerous this line of questioning was for both of them. Fang's lip curled a little but settled down. It gave Lightning the courage to continue. She slowed down and came to a stop which caused the shifter to pause in her own steps as well.

"What about me, Light? Like I said, we were good with training the elementals back at Valhalla. Caius never saw fit to train me to control my powers properly, said there wasn't a point." Fang replied with a sigh, fidgeting with her claws.

Lightning watched her and held her own breath for a moment, contemplative.  _Stop closing the damn door, Farron._  She chastised herself and shook the fear from her mind.

"But what if they could be controlled? What if you didn't have to fear your own instincts? You say an elemental's biggest weakness is their own elements, then by that logic a shifter's biggest weakness is their own instincts. We're slaves to our elements as much as you're a slave to the instincts, right? If that is what you truly believe..." She stepped forward and uncurled Fang's claws to hold her hand. "I  _know_  it isn't, because you can train the elementals to get a hold of themselves, to reign in their abilities and even grow them without overtaking them. Surely the same rings true for yourself?"

"I…" Fang suddenly found herself at a loss for words. It all made so much sense in its complete simplicity. Lightning suddenly shot backwards with a grin and stood several paces back from the shifter.

"Your powers aren't something that need to be feared, Fang. When was the last time you just cut loose?" Lightning asked, using electricity to launch herself off the ground and high into the air. She twirled in an acrobatic fashion before landing in a crouch in front of the shifter. Fang stared in awe, impressed at the level of control.

"You've been practicin' I see."

There was a crackle of electricity that shot out from Lightning's eyes as she grinned. "Come on, let me see it. Let me see you. Everything that you are."

Fang swallowed hard at Lightning's words and wondered if there was something more behind them. She held up her hands in front of her and let them shift blue, all the way up to her face.

Once Fang had kicked off her boots she let her feet stretch out from the arches, standing even taller on the balls of her feet. She hadn't let her shift go this far before, and her breathing quickened with her raising anxiety. Fang gasped as Lightning stepped forward, giving her a once over with a concerned look. "Hey, it's alright, take your time." The pinkette said quietly, her hand on Fang's arm in support.

"Sorry... I've never... Taken it this far before."

Lightning observed the shifter and suspected she was still holding back. She leant forward and flicked Fang on the nose, a sly grin appearing as an idea formed in her mind. "Tag, you're it."

"… Did you just…?"

With a chuckle Lightning disappeared in a flash of electricity, leaving Fang looking dumbfounded. A growl rumbled in her throat, though with a somewhat playful tone. She removed her jacket and pants, exposing more shifted skin now she was down to just her underwear and her cropped black bra. "You wanna play, do ya? Well let's see how you like this." With a flash of teeth Fang set off, racing into the forest after the elemental. She found herself just moving on instinct, chasing the scent she had picked up from Lightning. Claws dug into the ground, into tree trunks as she propelled herself forward, faster than she'd ever moved in her life. The leaves whipped by her and her breath trailed from her chest as she ran.

There was a laugh from her left side as the pinkette rushed in and tapped her on the nose again, before disappearing further into the track. Fang sniffed at the air and smiled, enjoying the hunt. As she came into a clearing her head craned up to see the waterfall she had caught the sounds of a few months back, and Lightning standing atop it with a mischievous grin. Fang eyed the area and decided this would be a nice place to come to get away from everyone. A deep pool at the base for a swim sounded like a perfect afternoon. She wondered if Lightning would join her.

"How are you doing all the way down there, Fang?" Lightning jeered from the rocky outcrop high above her. "Why don't you show me your big bad shifter powers and come get me?"

Fang eyed the rocky surface and considered her options, when a bolt of electricity exploded the dirt by her feet, making her jump back with a start. "What game are you playin' at, power grid?"

"Power grid? Nice, haven't heard that one before. Come on. You don't have time to think, Fang. You have to move on instinct and not be so afraid to give into them. You have to start trusting yourself!" Lightning called out, throwing another couple of wide shots to get the brunette moving. Fang growled and started to climb the cliff, her claws piercing sections of rock as she climbed, narrowly avoiding the arcing electricity that sent her adrenaline flooding through her system. She leapt up the last twenty feet of distance, landing on the top with ease. She gave Lightning a once over as the pinkette stood lazily on the cliff edge, resting her weight on one foot and her arms folded comfortably against her chest. "See? That wasn't so bad. You're still you, even if you're looking a little meaner at the moment."

"Huh. Well whaddya know." Conceding the point, Fang sighed with relief. She hadn't felt this comfortable in her own skin since well before her abilities manifested. The furthest she'd ever shifted, the most she'd ever moved on instinct and Lightning still stood in one piece, not clawed half to death like she had done with her sister so many years ago. She supposed one could teach an old shifter new tricks, after all. That wasn't to say she wasn't going to get her own back for Lightning's antics, however. Fang eyed the elemental and a new plan of attack formed in her mind.

"So tell me, light bulb," Fang said with a toothy smile, "What do you do when you don't have your powers?"

"I'm never without them so it's a moot point." Lightning replied, though her heart rate picked up at what appeared to be a calculated glance from Fang.

"So you say..."

Lightning swallowed hard before dashing to the right, yelping in surprise as a long tail whipped around and caught her by the mid-section. It curled in and brought her crashing into Fang's chest, where she was caught in an iron grip.

"You have a tail. This is... New information."

"For you and me both, Sunshine," Fang replied, waving the tip of it around but using the new appendage to keep the elemental close. "But I can work with what I got." She gave a click of her tongue at the new predicament Lightning found herself in and smiled. "Always favouring your right side, Light. So. Care to answer the question?"

Considering how close they were to the cliff edge, Lightning didn't like where this was going at all. She tried to struggle in Fang's grip, which only made the brunette grasp her tighter. Fang stared down at the wary cerulean gaze with a knowing smile.

"If you're thinking about doing what I think you're thinking..."

Fang laughed and slid her hands down to Lightning's lower back, pressing her even closer. "Well it's like you said, Light. No time to think." She drawled, leaning all her weight back as they both tilted off the edge of the cliff.

"Faaaaang!"

The shifter released her as they fell, allowing them to both twist around to land safely. They hit the water with a splash, Lightning the first to swim to the surface with a gasp of air. "You son of a... Fang... Fang?" She glanced around and saw no sign of the Pulsian. Beginning to panic, she dove under water and nearly screamed at the cheeky jade eyes meeting her gaze from beneath her. They both broke the surface, panting for breath, Lightning glaring at Fang all the while. The rest of the bestial appearance slowly melted away, leaving a human-looking Fang smiling softly from beneath the matted hair plastered to her face.

"Are you insane?" Lightning exclaimed, the water dripping off her own hair as she tread water in the natural pool.

"Quite likely. See, now you're in a position where you can't use your powers. Elemental type L'cie can both work with and against each other, like you saw when working with Yuj. In that instance, the conductive nature of the water worked with you. But, in this instance? It's working against you. You can't use them in this space without killing me. So what are you going to do?"

"I could still use them at this point after that stunt..." Lightning muttered, and Fang held up her hands in surrender. Her hands were decidedly human, and for the most part, all of her was. The elemental eyed off the myriad of scars covering her body and her lips thinned. A brutal story likely lay behind them, but now wasn't that time. Fang cleared her throat and wiggled her fingers.

"Look, no claws. Even field. So let's go. And remember what I told you about your tells. Not everyone is going to be able to pick them but I'm not the only one out there who has seen you fight. If your left side is weak, strengthen it."

Fang surged forward in the water, going for Lightning on the right. It forced her to move on the left, and the elemental curbed her powers so as not to accidentally electrocute the woman who had somehow through all this madness become her friend. Though right now that friendship was tenuous considering that the Pulsian had just dragged her off a damn cliff.

"You gotta think more like a shifter, gorgeous. Find the weakness. Take it out." They traded blows in tandem, the water slowing both of them down. Then, there it was. Lightning finally saw one of Fang's tells. She was so used to the claws she still held her arms away from her body, leaving her chest exposed. The elemental darted to the right as she always did, but then shot into the centre, barrelling into Fang's torso. It caught the shifter off guard and she fell back into the water with a yell. "What did you see?" she asked as she resurfaced, Lightning still keeping a firm grip on her.

"You're so used to fighting in your shifted form you still compensate when you have your smaller, human form."

Kicking in the water, Fang hummed and moved them both closer to the bank where she could touch the ground with her back. She laid back in the shallow water near the bank with Lightning still on top of her. The elemental fell forward, her arms flying out to brace herself on either side of Fang's head.

"Very nice, Sunshine." The shifter purred, pleased with the outcome. "Seems we're teaching each other."

"Yeah." Lightning agreed, her eyes darting over the relaxed face of Fang. They stared at each other while catching their breath, both suddenly very aware of the skin contact as Lightning was unintentionally straddling her hips.

"You both certainly are! Unconventional teaching methods but it's getting the job done, nonetheless." Sazh's voice called out from above them as he circled in the air. Lightning rolled off the Pulsian quickly, embarrassed at being caught in such a compromising position.

"How long have you been up there for, you damn vulture?" Fang growled, annoyed at the interruption. Sazh landed with a beaming smile, giving the two of them a once over as they stood, dripping water off their skin.

"Long enough. You're a good teacher, Fang." He praised warmly, ignoring the scoff the shifter gave. "I've been watching you come into your own over the last while, and I've been impressed with how you've handled yourself. If you were willing, I'd like to see you and Lightning trialling a defensive course for the younger students."

The two women stared at each other in disbelief. "You serious?" Lightning asked, dubious of his intentions. Sazh nodded, though a sad expression remained on his face. He gritted his teeth for a moment before sighing heavily.

"Because I'm beginning to suspect you're right."

"Woah. Fuck, I should have been more prepared. I could have filmed that for posterity." Fang replied with a surprise, receiving an elbow to the ribs from Lightning. "I mean... What's changed? You were the eternal pacifist?"

"Once, maybe I was. But I can't keep thinking the world isn't changing, that we aren't in danger every time we leave the grounds of the Haven. Anyway. Think about my offer. You two work well enough together, I think it'd be good for you both." With his not so subtle hint, Sazh took off with a large flap of his wings, heading back in the direction of the mansion. Fang watched him leave before glancing back down to the elemental with a smile.

The heat of Lightning being so close still sent skitterings down her spine, and Fang began to consider that she was starting to feel something more than kinship towards her. Not that she thought the pinkette would ever consider a crazy shifter like her, but Fang realised that somewhere along the line the two had fallen into an easy friendship. Complete with competitive banter, quiet moments and frivolity, it gave her a moment to remember what it was like to be human. If only her best friend could see her now.

"Come on, Light. We've got a curriculum to plan." She finally said with a grin, pulling Lightning out if whatever faraway thoughts she appeared to be having.

"Huh? Oh. Right. Sure." The elemental replied, wringing out her hair from the impromptu dip in the lake. She followed Fang back down the trail towards the mansion, half listening to the shifter chattering away about ideas. Her mind was too far occupied at the thrill of being dragged off the cliff, sparring with Fang, landing on top of her in the water.

It was a different kind of electric feeling running through her, and gods help her it was just as intoxicating at the storm.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got married! I am a missus now, officially. Thanks to all who had sent through some kind words and thank you for your continued support. Chapter Renderings will restart on Tumblr later in the week once I have the house to myself again!

The sounds of struggling woke Lightning in the dead of night, her instincts flaring and electricity surging as she leapt out of bed. She raced to the room it was coming from, her steps slowing when she realised it was Fang having yet another nightmare. Lightning carefully knocked on the door to try to rouse the shifter, but to no avail. She opened the door to find Fang thrashing around in bed, the sheets shredded from her claws.

"Fang... Hey. Wake up." Lightning said quietly, sparking some electricity to create light in the room, hoping it would wake her up. While it had the desired effect, it wasn't the desired outcome as Fang's eyes suddenly snapped open and she leapt forward with a savage snarl. Operating on pure instinct, she tackled Lightning to the ground, who was too shocked to even move out of the way. The jade eyes came into focus and Fang became immediately aware of her surroundings, breathing heavily.

"Shit... Light... Sorry..." Fang stammered, still not moving off the elemental. Suddenly panicking, she reeled back, checking Lightning for any unintentional injuries. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine." Lightning assured her, allowing herself to be helped up. They stared at each other awkwardly for a few beats of silence, the elemental weighing up her next words and deciding for the tactless approach. "Is being with Caius really that bad that you wake ready to kill?"

Fang shook her head, her eyes looking hollow. "N-no. Something... Something else. Sorry. I didn't mean to... Look don't worry about me, Light. Just go back to sleep." Looking at the closed off stance and the avoidant gaze, Lightning stepped forward and took Fang by the hand, leading her back to her own bedroom. "Uh, Light?"

"Quiet." The pinkette replied, rifling through a case at the foot of her bed that hummed. She glanced back up with an uneven smile of her own, handing Fang an ice cold beer and pulling one out for herself.

"A mini fridge hidden in your room? You been holdin' out on me, Light?"

"Please. The stash would be gone overnight if I had have told you about it earlier."

A low chuckle came from Fang as she used a claw to pop the top off the bottle. "Well you're not wrong."

The two leant back on Lightning's bed, resting their backs against the wall. She was used to seeing the brunette looking so defeated, but never realised until now just how much seeing it affected her. Lightning found herself scooting closer on the bed so they were practically touching. "Fang, are you... Ok? If you want to talk about it... I'm here." The shifter didn't answer for some time, merely content to focus on her breathing.

"You asked me a while back, why I keep the... guns out, yeah? It's because then I don't have to be reminded of what humanity means." Fang growled, closing her eyes and calming herself, allowing the hardened plates and blue skin to fade, revealing the scars in their wake. They marred much of her skin, savagely marking her biceps and carving out wicked lines. "That's not even counting the ones on my chest, on my stomach, legs... I was just a kid on the streets, after I ran away from home following... Well you know. I kicked it with a homeless crowd that helped show me the ropes in Nautilus. Until the day I let my guard slip and they realised what I was."

Lightning inhaled sharply, suppressing a gasp but couldn't help reaching out to touch the scars on the Pulsian's arm. "So they turned on you."

"In a fuckin' heartbeat," Fang laughed bitterly, "They broke bottles, pulled knives, broke pipes off the alley walls. Whatever they could find. The only good L'cie is a dead L'cie, right? They attacked me, brutally. I was as good as gone, and I welcomed death. I'd gone from having a happy life, with family, friends, to a life on the streets begging for scraps while hiding what I am. A life of constant fear. If Caius hadn't have found me, they would have killed me."

"Fang I'm... Sorry that happened to you." Lightning said quietly, still absently trailing her fingers down Fang's arms as she slowly made her way to the brunette's wrist.

A sharp inhale came from Fang's throat at the attentions, and she covered it with an awkward cough. "Nothin' to be sorry over, Sunshine. I just wish... I wish I had the courage to have gone home sooner. I lost my sister, and I lost my best friend that day. I miss her as much as I missed Hex. She would have known what to do."

"Oh? You had a level headed friend? Hope it balanced you out as a kid.." Lightning joked, smiling softly at the nudge she received from the Pulsian.

"Nah, she was just as crazy as I was. But she did... Make things calmer." Fang chuckled, reminding herself of simpler times. She leant against Lightning, looking around her room when she spied a photo on the dresser mirror. There was a familiar monument in the background that made her sit up with interest. Lightning quirked an eyebrow at the Pulsian, wondering what had caught her gaze.

"What is it?" She asked, sitting up as well.

"Hey, I recognize that camping ground." Fang replied, tilting her head curiously. Lightning eyed the image and smiled.

"That's the only possession I took with me, the day I ran from home. Photo of me and my best friend as kids. She meant the world to me and... Fang?"

The shifter stood and walked over to the dresser, plucking the polaroid from the mirror, looking nervous. "Before the shit hit the fan I used to go there all the time with my... With you." Fang trailed off as she finally caught a proper glimpse of the photo of the two of them as teens at the campsite. She held it with a shaking hand and turned slowly. The pinkette saw the scar along the palm of Fang's right hand that held the photo, the first time she had noticed it in human form. She held a matching scar on her own hand that she would rub as a nervous twitch when she was stressed. Their eyes met and Lightning sucked in a nervous breath.

"Y…Yun?"

" _Hey, Claire? Do you… Do you love me?"_

" _Hm?" Claire turned to regard her friend as they sat by the campfire, tilting her head curiously. "Of course I do. You're my best friend."_

_The brunette swallowed nervously and scratched at her hand, something she had been doing more frequently over the last few weeks, Claire noted. "Even if, something were to happen to me? Would you still love me?"_

" _What kind of a question is that? You could turn into a Chocobo tomorrow and I'd still love you. Probably even more so than I do now because then I could just ride you to school and forget the bus. What's going on?"_

_Her friend drew a shaky breath and laughed at Claire's attempt at humour, staring at her hands. "I dunno. Just a feeling, I guess. It feels like something bad is coming. If… If I have to leave, would you come with me?"_

" _Nothing bad is gonna happen, I'll protect you. And if we have to run away together, so be it." Claire stared into the fire for a while, holding her friend close. She suddenly pulled back with a snap of her fingers. "We'll blood swear on it. I've seen it in those Pulsian mythos comics you read. That way we're bound to each other under Etro's Grace."_

_After rifling through her bag for a pocket knife, Claire turned to her friend and scooted close. They cut each other's palm with barely a hiss of protest from the pain, and then clasped their hands together. "Blood swear?" the brunette asked nervously. Claire smiled warmly and rest her head against her friend's forehead._

" _Absolute total super blood swear."_

_They fell back into their sleeping bags, still holding hands as they stared at the night sky. "You'll still love me no matter what, huh?" The raspy, accented voice floated over, sleepy and soft._

" _Of course I will. Super blood swear promise, remember? You're my best friend, and that's what best friends do, right, Yun?"_

"Claire." Fang said bluntly, like the name was a knife against her own throat. The scar on her hand spoke of many promises, none of them fulfilled. She had showed up on her best friend's doorstep in a panic a month after the camping trip, having just put her sister in hospital at the peak of an argument. Fang didn't remember what had happened, only that they were yelling at each other one second and the next her mother was screaming as Vanille lay bloodied on the floor, her sister's face hideously torn up by what appeared to be claw marks.

Claire's mother had told her to go home because it was late, completely unaware of what had transpired and ushered her best friend inside. That was the last time they'd seen each other. Her father had tried to kill her over what she had done when she had returned home, so she had to run.

Before Fang could say anything further, she was pushed back against the dresser as Lightning threw her arms around her neck in a crushing embrace. In an instant the animosity that was slowly thawing melted in an inferno of memory, Lightning either forgetting or no longer caring that she was in the arms of someone she previously considered a dangerous rival. It startled Fang so much her arms and half her torso shifted on instinct alone.

"Etro… I can't believe it's you... after all these years…"

It took a couple of seconds for Fang to really, truly register that this was her best friend in her arms. She slowly pushed Lightning back to get a look at her. "Claire... What the hell happened to your hair?" Fang found herself asking, trailing the tips of her claws carefully through the pale, pink locks. The last time she saw her friend, Claire was a blonde; now she sported an asymmetrical pale pink that Serah shared in colour.

Lightning chuckled quietly, ignoring the tear that had slid down her own face. "The price of being a L'cie also apparently came with a bottle of hair dye." She joked, before falling silent as she lost herself into those jade eyes. "My god you've gotten tall."

Fang couldn't help but laugh, reaching up with human fingers, wiping the trailing tear with her thumb. Perhaps instead of Fang delivering Serah to her sister, Serah actually delivered Fang instead.

"There isn't a day that's gone by where I haven't thought about you. I've wished every day since you vanished that I had gone with you. I've been so worried that something had happened to you… That you'd…" Lightning whispered, taking Fang's hand in her own and pressed it against her face, unable to stop another tear from slipping down her cheek. "Nobody ever told us what happened. You vanished and the rest of your family just up and left the following week. I didn't even know what had happened to you, let alone Vanille."

It felt like a lifetime ago. When Claire had raced over to Yun's house the following morning, her friend's father had merely snarled at her, told her that Yun was gone and slammed the door in her face. She found their house up for sale and empty only days later, with no forwarding address. She had tried in vain to search for her best friend and her family for months, and had feared the worst.

Fang closed her eyes and tried not to grind her teeth. "Vanille was young when I… Disappeared, so not surprising that she doesn't recognise you. O' course, you wouldn't have recognised her with the hatchet job on her face. It's lucky she's alive." She observed the emotions so clearly on the pinkette's face and looked away.

But Lightning wouldn't have a bar of it, cupping her by the jaw and bringing Fang's gaze back to her. "I shouldn't have let my mother send you away that night. I should have gone with you. We should have run away together, like we promised."

"What's done is done. We can't change what happened." Fang said, trying to force the bitterness from her voice and failing.

"But we can change the future, Yun."

The brunette growled and tore her gaze away. "I gave that name up the day I lost my humanity. It's Fang, now. Just as much as I'm sure you prefer Lightning." She sighed and turned to leave, only to have Claire grip her by the wrist once more. The pinkette moved in close and cupped Fang's face to force her gaze.

"Please, Fang. Don't keep hurting yourself with your guilt like this. Hex... Vanille has missed you so much. I have missed you so much." She whispered in the brunette's ear. Fang's breath hitched when she swore she felt Claire's lips press against her ear in a gentle kiss. Before she could comment, the pinkette had pulled back with a light blush on her cheeks. Fang shuffled on her feet nervously, suddenly feeling very shy around someone she'd spent half her childhood with.

"I'm... I'm gonna go... Um... I'm probably keeping you awake and..."

"Stay with me, Fang." Lightning said quietly, the redness of her cheeks visible even in the dim light. "Just... Like old times. It might... It might help you sleep. Please?"

There was a moment of fear that considering her shredded sheets, staying with someone in close proximity was likely a dangerous idea. But as Lightning took her by the hand and led her away from the door, she couldn't find it in herself to argue.

* * *

The sun light peeking through the curtains was the first thing Fang noticed when she opened her eyes. She was sat up in the corner of the bed, still leaning against the wall. Confused, she blinked a couple of times and looked around, realising she was in Lightning's room. The pinkette in question was wrapped around her waist, head snuggled in against her shoulder.

It was like looking at a completely different person. A matter of days ago Fang knew they were still wary of each other though much of the animosity had finally vanished. This morning however, she was looking at her best friend. The girl she grew up with, got into copious amounts of trouble with, who promised that no matter what, they would find a way to look after one another.

There was a quiet murmur from Lightning as she tightened her grip, the action bringing a soft and easy smile to Fang's face. She glanced down at herself, her eyebrows raising as she realised she was still in human form. It had been a while since she got to wake up like this, but then again it had been some many years since she woke up next to her best friend. Often falling asleep next to each other at sleep overs, lazy afternoons in the park, or just mucking about all over Bodhum.

The iron grip Lightning had around Fang's waist relaxed a little, and the shifter heard her breathing quicken. Cerulean eyes suddenly glanced up at her, very self-conscious about her current position.

"Oh. Sorry. We fell asleep talking last night didn't we?" Lightning rasped, her voice husky from sleep. She gently pushed herself up and stretched out the tension in her neck.

"Yeah, we did. At least you didn't drool on me. This time." Fang said with a slight tickle of Lightning's side, causing the pinkette to leap out of bed with a yelp. Neither could wipe the smiles from their faces. Fang slid from the bed and moved over to Lightning, wrapping her up in strong arms. "Gods... I can't believe it's you."

The elemental bit her lip and glanced over at the photo on the dresser. "Well, we did  _absolute total super blood swear_ to stick together. Even if there was a bit of an... Unintended gap." Fang brushed the pale pink hair away from Lightning's eyes, not willing to let her go. She felt giddy, like it was the harvest festival come early.

"Um... Not that I'm complaining because it's nice to see you two  _not_ trying to kill each other for once but... Have I missed something here?" a curious voice interrupted their moment together. The two broke apart with a jump, Hex standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips. Lightning's face broke into a beaming smile and she walked over and scooped the redhead up in her arms.

"Eep! W-what's all this about?"

Both Fang and Lightning laughed, the sound catching Serah's attentions as she walked past the room on her way to breakfast. She nearly tripped over her own feet at the sight of her sister's joyous smile and wondered what could have triggered such a genuine expression that she hadn't seen in years. Entering the room, Serah raised an eyebrow at her sibling, curious as to why she was showering Vanille with early morning affection.

"Fang? A little help here?"

Lightning chuckled and stepped back, brushing the red hair out of the young girl's face. "It's alright, Vanille. I'm just... really happy to see you."

"Aw, I'm really happy to see you t- wait you just called me Vanille. Fang, why did you tell her my real name? I thought you hated  _human_  names?"

Serah entered the room at the sound of the familiar name and watched the knowing grin on Fang's face widen. The Pulsian took her sister by one of her many hands and gave it a squeeze. "I didn't tell her squat, 'Nille. This is Claire."

Three of her six arms shot out and involuntarily slapped Fang, Vanille reeling back in shock. "Claire? As in Farron? Then that means..."

Serah gasped, her eyes darting between their respective older siblings. "Wait... You mean to tell me that you're actually Yun?  _Oerba freaking_   _Yun_?"

"It's Oerba Yun  _Fang_ now, these days, thank you very much." Fang quipped with a slow grin. Serah stared in disbelief before she was bowled off her feet by the excitable redhead. The two were fast friends as children while their older sisters hung out. There were hugs and ecstatic squeals and just all round happy chaos in the room while they all reacquainted themselves after being apart for so many years.

The bell for breakfast rung out, drawing everyone's attention towards the door. Vanille helped Serah up off the floor with a giggle, then ran over to Fang and grabbed her with at least three hands. "Come on! Catch up over food! We'll miss the best bits of breakfast if Snow gets there before us!" Dragging her out the door, Fang's eyes landed on Lightning with a beaming smile on her face before she disappeared from view.

Serah watched the two Pulsians leave before turning back to her sister. "You look happy," she observed, eyeing the much more relaxed demeanour. Lightning gave a laidback smile, while a realisation hit Serah regarding here sister over the near decade it had been since Fang disappeared from her life. "It wasn't just guilt over me that's been following you around, is it?"

The sudden nervousness that overcame the elder Farron was obvious. It made sense. Serah remembered how distraught her sister was when her best friend had vanished. How withdrawn and despondent Claire had become, and how fiercely protective she became over her younger sister instead. Which was why it had hurt Serah even more when she too had left.

"I promised her. That I would go with her. I should have known something was up when she asked me to run away that night. I just thought she was being... Melodramatic."

Lightning found herself dragged into a hug by her younger sibling. "Claire, you were kids. We weren't even at the age to take responsibility for a part time job let alone something like that. We hadn't even heard of the word L'cie."

"But look at what's happened to h-"

"Don't." Serah said firmly, clamping her hand over Lightning's mouth. "Don't you start blaming yourself over what happened to Fang as well. She already does that enough over what happened with H... Vanille... and you already do it enough to yourself for leaving me. Haven't you both punished yourselves enough? Why not be happy that we're all reunited again, all together as one family in a safe place?"

With a slow nod, Lightning took a breath and held it, allowing Serah to lead her to the dining room where everyone was gathering for breakfast. Her eyes met Fang's as the shifter waved her over, having already secured a seat and plate for the Farron siblings. Lightning laughed quietly as she sat down to a plate of waffles with berries drowned in syrup and she bumped Fang with her shoulder.

"Still remembered, huh?"

"Please," Fang replied with a scoff, dumping salt over her eggs as she rolled her eyes. "We could be apart for five hundred years and I'd still remember what a disgusting sweet tooth you have."

Eyeing the brunette's savoury breakfast, Lightning smiled and leant over, gently taking a dab of syrup on her finger and wiping it on Fang's nose. "The way you cover everything in salt, I  _should_  have realised it was you. Nobody buries their meals in sodium quite like you."

Fang's eyes crossed as she watched the syrup drip off her nose and onto her plate. "I'm going to cover you in bacon grease, Farron."

"You'll have to catch me first, Oerba."

Lightning vanished from the room in a flash of green and white electricity, reappearing to grab a waffle before taking off again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah Shez, ya called it. ;)


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go, apologies for the absence, what with the wedding and the house full of people and the agonising I did over how to proceed with the story. If you're on Tumblr, you already know the drill. If you're not, THE STORY IS STAYING THE SAME NOTHING TO SEE HERE MOVE ALONG AND LET'S KEEP GOING HOORAY.

Walking down the hallway with an arm slung over the shorter elemental, Fang couldn't wipe the grin off her face. She felt like shouting her happiness from the rooftops, and the spring in her step was obvious. She had even managed to maintain a fully human form for a few weeks now, which was surprising to her. Not that Fang wanted to admit to anyone out loud, but maybe there was some truth in Lightning's assumption that she couldn't entirely control her abilities. She wasn't as well versed as she'd hoped.

"Hey, remember that time we got into the neighbour's yard?" She asked, bringing the bright cerulean eyes up to her own. "You know, Mrs Zan and her garden?"

Lightning rolled her eyes and hit Fang on the stomach. "You mean how _you_ tried to climb the fence and crushed her flower bed? She looked like she was about to give you the hiding of a lifetime." She replied with a sigh. They had been trading stories all morning, as they had been doing for the last few weeks.

The memory turned a little sour when Lightning recalled that the neighbour had made cookies for them every school holiday. She had stopped after Fang and her family had disappeared. Whenever Lightning would pass her friend's neighbour in the street thereafter, the old woman would avert her gaze with a flash of sympathy and sadness on her face.

"Hey, I needed to get Vanille's ball otherwise she was gonna cry for hours..." Fang replied, defensive yet amused. She eyed the elemental's distracted expression and gave her a nudge. "Hey, where'd you go just now?" She noticed that Lightning had been like this more frequently lately, and was beginning to worry that the excitement of getting her friend back was starting to wane and the elemental was losing interest. Fang pushed the intrusive thought from her mind and tried to remain casual.

Lightning shook the memory off and tried to put a smile on her face that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Sorry. I think my mind is wandering a lot today."

It was true, after all. There was this almost… desperate need to reconnect between the two of them since the discovery of their past. Much of their conversation dwelled on the times of their childhood together, which was wonderful at first.

But a few weeks on, Lightning was beginning to find every memory that was brought up had become tainted with Fang's absence afterwards. Not that she could blame Fang for leaving, but the crippling loneliness she had felt in the wake of her best friend's disappearance meant for years of solitude and isolation, even before her own powers manifested and she had to follow suit. It made her feel guilty to think like that, considering Fang was covered in scars from her time after she had left home.

All things considered, Lightning was spared most of the prejudice because of her abilities and being picked up by Sazh early on. Fang on the other hand was exposed to the brutal, uncaring side of humanity. Both of their views were shaped directly from their experiences and no matter how much shared history they had, it didn't change the fact that they had grown up and grown apart. No matter how many times they clung to each other. Lightning was beginning to think that they were trying to force a connection that was no longer there. She hated feeling like this. To finally have a piece of her returned only to find it doesn't fit quite right.

"Clearly a lot on your mind with the way you're spacin' out today, Lightbulb. Gil for your thoughts?" Fang mused, blowing gently at the elemental's face to get her attention.

"Sorry. I… Yeah. Sazh has a meeting with some official today about piloting a program with the local schools. It's good to see that there are some... Humans... who are willing to work with us." The word always felt strange, to not refer to herself as human, and it was a concept she still struggled with despite accepting her abilities being a part of her.

A quiet scoff sounded next to her, Fang looking entirely unconvinced. The shifter moved her arm from off Lightning's shoulder and shoved her hands into her pockets with a groan. "I don't think I'll ever get used to the bureaucratic nonsense you lot do here."

They walked together in silence, though Lightning was mildly annoyed at how flippant Fang was towards the work they were trying to do here. While the shifter had still come a long way in terms of opening up to them, even before they realised their shared past... There was still a lingering feeling of disdain. Lightning tried to force the annoyance from her mind and hugged Fang around the waist.

"What was that for?"

"Nothing, I just... I missed you. That's all."

Fang chuckled quietly, returning the squeeze as they made their way towards the games room. They passed Sazh's office and heard voices coming from within. The door opened and a well-dressed tall man exited, flanked by a similarly dressed colleague. The sight of them caused polar opposite reactions with the women, Lightning's expression brightening while Fang paled and looked fearful. The elemental stepped forward and gave a small bow and then shook the hands of the men with Sazh.

"Raines, good to see you again. Rygdea, thank you for the tip on the L'cie. He has been settling in nicely." She said warmly, giving his wrist an extra squeeze.

"No problems, girly. All in a day's work. You gonna introduce me to that tall dark and gorgeous you're travelling with?"

Turning with a smile, it faltered when she saw how dark Fang's expression had become. "Uh, Fang... This is Director Raines, and his associate Rygdea. They're both from-"

"I know where they're from. Sanctum lackeys have a very distinctive stench to their boots. It's usually all the L'cie blood they trample through." Fang barked angrily, her sudden burst of anger startling the pinkette. "You wanna tell me why they're  _here_  of all places?"

Moving quickly to try to placate Fang's anger before she began to shift, Lightning stood beside her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Not everything is black and white, Fang. They're trying to help us from the inside. Not everyone in the Sanctum has the same dangerous agenda."

Jerking her arm out of Lightning's grasp, Fang growled and took a few steps backwards. "All you lot are doing is letting a viper into your nest. It'll only be a matter of time before Sanctum comes breaking down the doors to take your children in the night."

" _Fang..._ " Lightning warned, her skin flashing briefly with the crackle of electricity. Cid held up his hand and closed his eyes, calmly requesting silence.

"Far be it for me to sway your mind, Fang, was it? But if we wanted to  _storm the compound_  we would have done it long before now, and come the minute you arrived here after your escapades at the diner."

If Cid had hoped his words would placate the shifter, if anything they had the opposite effect. Fang bared her teeth at the Sanctum official and stepped forward, her features shifting rapidly. Lightning stood in between the two of them and put her hands against the brunette's shoulders.

" _Fang._.. They've been feeding us information to get L'cie away from the Sanctum. It's how we found Yuj. It's how we found you and Serah... Fang… Yun…  _Please_."

The revelation seemed to calm Fang, but only slightly. "Shame you couldn't save Maqui." She spat, simmering in anger. But one look of disappointment in Lightning's eyes sent a lance of hurt through her chest. She sighed and placed a clawed hand against Lightning's neck gently. "Sorry. I... I'm gonna go take a walk and cool off."

There was a brief moment of panic that flashed in Lightning's eyes, and Fang recognised it as the same look Serah would give her every time she went on one of the many  _errands_  for Caius back at Valhalla. Like the young elemental was going to not see her again. She stepped forward and pressed her head against Lightning's forehead, closing her eyes and inhaling slowly.

"Come find me later at our spot."

An unspoken promise lay beneath the words,  _I'm not going anywhere._  It seemed to be enough to make Lightning relax. She gave a small, relieved smile and nodded, watching Fang step back and walk out the door. Cid moved up beside her with a curious hum.

"Still holds a lot of... Animosity from the last time I saw her. Considering what she did, her anger towards me is... Misdirected."

"You... What?"

The Sanctum director sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Your friend was attempting to break her fellow L'cie out of a facility. The one she mentioned. She was too late, and lost her... Composure in her grief. The other soldiers in the compound were on orders to kill on sight. She defended herself, as expected."

Lightning inhaled sharply, holding a hand up to her mouth. She knew that Fang had violent tendencies and even had killed. But She realised she had been looking at Fang through the eyes of her childhood over the last few weeks. It was hard to reconcile the two very different people as the same person. "What... How many?"

"At least six men. But, I let her go. Gave her the chance to escape despite it. The boy was lost, I didn't see reason for anyone else to follow suit. I don't begrudge her for her actions. Sanctum is wrong for many reasons, what they did to that boy was unspeakable."

Rygdea cleared his throat behind them, drawing their focus. "Sorry to interrupt, boss. But you have a two o'clock meeting in the city we had better head to. Can't let this  _dental appointment_  run over, right?"

"Indeed. Sazh, Lightning, a pleasure as always." His eyes flashed a brilliant crystal for a few seconds before he placed his sunglasses on and stepped out of the building with Rygdea following close behind.

"How that man has been a L'cie under their nose for nearly two decades without being caught out is beyond me." Sazh muttered, shaking his head in bemusement. He gave Lightning a quick once over and coughed nervously. "So… Hex had an interesting conversation with me recently about you and Fang."

Lightning's eyes sparked dangerously and she ground her teeth in her head. "Don't start, Sazh."

"Hey. I'm not here to lecture. But I will tell you the same thing I told  _Vanille,_ Claire. Don't focus on your past with each other. It'll breed resentment faster than you can see your element strike the ground. Focus on making the active choice to build a future, together. You both gotta make the effort to move beyond your past,  _all of it,_  or you'll not be able to move forward into the future."

His final point made, he shrugged and walked off down the hallway, leaving Lightning to her thoughts.

* * *

 

Fang dangled her legs over the cliff edge by the waterfall, watching the sun set across the forest below. No matter which way she tried to look at it, the thought of the Haven working with anyone from the Sanctum made her blood boil. It went against everything she had fought for over a decade's worth of struggling. After everything she had done, the people she had killed in Valhalla's name. It all felt like it was for nothing now that she was staying with the enemy. She didn't want to think of it like that. But it was hard not to, given her upbringing.

It was good to have her best friend back, but all Fang was doing was clinging to memories of their time before in the hopes that it would somehow act as a salve for the wounds she suffered after she was forced to vanish. But she wasn't stupid. Fang saw the way Lightning's eyes would sink to the floor, how she would become distracted at the mention of every memory. She knew that Lightning's mind was wandering to everything that happened afterwards.

Hers did too.

The subject of her thoughts made herself known with a few dragged footsteps that scuffed the rocks. They both knew Lightning didn't have to make the noise, but the elemental still seemed to do it out of courtesy anyway. She sat down on the ledge next to Fang, keeping a small amount of distance between them. Silence dragged on between them, skirting on the edges of awkwardness as they both thought about what to say.

"It makes it harder, doesn't it?" Fang finally asked, Lightning turning with a questioning expression. The shifter swallowed thickly, her throat dry and feeling strained. "I assume Raines told you about our last meeting. It's difficult to remind yourself that I'm both a killer  _and_ your old friend, isn't it?"

There was no response at first, Lightning remaining quiet while choosing her words carefully. "I think it's… Harder in general." She finally answered, looking out over the forest. "This morning just… Reminded me of how difficult it really is. That every time we look back to the past all I see is the scars from our time apart. About how I broke the promise to always look out for you."

"Light, you couldn't have known that I was going to turn into a monst-"

"Don't." Lightning suddenly snapped, startling Fang so much she gripped at the rock face to stop from overbalancing and toppling into the water below. "Don't. You're not a monster, and I wish you would stop referring to yourself as such."

Hating that the shifter always seemed to think so little of herself, it made electricity crackle along her arms in anger. Fang sighed and moved her neck from side to side, feeling the satisfying pop in the joints. "What else am I supposed to think, Light? I didn't get the  _idyllic_  childhood. You may have had to high-tail it from your parents place, but you're too quick for anyone to catch you. You could steal things in the blink of an eye, found refuge wherever you went, and then Sazh picked you up and took you to paradise."

"It wasn't-"

"It  _was_ , and you know it. Ever spent a night on the streets in the middle of winter when it's raining? It's the coldest you'll ever feel in your life. I don't begrudge you for getting the easy way ou-"

"Easy way? How  _dare_  you. How fucking dare you presume that I have had it easy just because I am faster. It meant nobody could catch me, but it also meant that nobody could keep up with me." Lightning seethed, the electricity sparking from her fingertips and whiting out her irises. Fang's eyes widened and she leant back on reflex.

"You had a family in Valhalla. I had  _nobody._  All I had while I was on the run was my memories of you. How I wished I could have found you, and maybe we could have… God dammit Fang, how dare you presume that I have had it easy all these years without you. They've been hell."

Her point made, they fell into an uneasy silence. The longer Lightning sat there, the more she realised that Sazh was right. Their past only bred resentment. If they wanted to move forward they had to stop focusing on what came before, and work on what comes next.

Fang took a few deep breaths, knowing that her words were hurting Lightning and not helping the situation between them. "I'm sorry." She whispered, watching Lightning bow her head and stare at the water below. Fang felt a pang of hurt in her chest, that something she'd desperately craved for almost a decade was so close yet still so out of reach. "We moved a bit fast, didn't we? In our need to… Re-connect, I… I worry that we are glossing over all the years we've experienced apart from each other. I was your best friend then, but I'm a killer now, Light. I have killed people at the behest of Caius. To protect my family at Valhalla."

"Would you do it again? To protect your family here, even though you've seen there is a better way?"

The stare Lightning received was fierce and made her shrink a little where she sat. Fang swallowed hard and closed her eyes, not willing to see the elemental's reaction.

"Without. Hesitation."

"And what if I wouldn't let you? Would you fight me too?"

Fang's eyes snapped open and she was met with an equally forceful glare. "I… I don't… I don't want to."

"You've fought me before, Fang. Many times. I even recall you telling me that you had all the information to  _end_  me. But even without knowing who I am, what we are to each other, I still call bullshit. You wouldn't kill again. Because you've been here for months now, away from Caius' influence, away from his constant need to belittle you, mould your thinking into believing you're just some beast to be let off a chain."

The elemental was torn between getting her point across and not wanting to anger Fang any further than she'd already seen today. She was still terrified of losing her again. Lightning took Fang's hand and moved over to rest her head against the shifter's shoulder. She was too nervous to make eye contact. "You are more than that in the eyes of your family. Of Vanille. Of  _Serah_. Of… Of me."

Not able to find words to answer, Fang swallowed the lump in her throat and gave Lightning's hand a gentle squeeze. It was a strange sort of limbo to be found in, that she was reunited with her best friend once again, but when they ran out of stories to reminisce on it left the giant void of their separation between them. That they had grown up, Fang had gone through traumas and unspeakable acts, while Lightning had spent the time shutting herself off from everyone around her.

"Fang… I had grown fond of you and your incessant need to annoy me even before the added… Complication. I want you to stay here, with us, as your own decision. Not because of me and what we were. But because of what we  _can_ be."

A smile crossed Lightning's face as Fang wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer. They watched the sun set together in comfortable silence, still trying to hold onto each other despite the distance between them.

"Fang?"

"Yeah, Light?"

There was a pause, causing Fang to look down towards the determined glacier-blue gaze staring up at her. Lightning bit her lip and her eyes darted away as she took a deep breath.

"I want to know everything that happened, after you left Bodhum."

"Are you sure?  _Everything?_  There's a lot of… Not great stuff in there."

Lightning turned back to face the shifter and nodded. "I need to know you. Not just the person you were when we were kids. Tell me everything."

Fang watched the elemental's face carefully, shadows forming across her profile with the last dying light of the day and nodded slowly.

"Alright then."


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back with forward momentum! wayhoooooooohhh shit.

The gentle breeze crossed Fang's face as she propped herself against a tree and let the day trail by. Lightning was running through formations with some of the other students and the shifter had elected to  _helpfully_  keep out of it. She heard a shuffle of grass as Vanille came and sat down next to her with a contented sigh.

"You guys seem a little... calmer? Is calmer the right word?"

Cracking a single eye open, Fang laughed quietly and brought her sibling in for a hug. "I suppose it is a good choice of words, considering everythin' over the last while. What about you 'Nille? You and Serah been getting reacquainted?"

Vanille shrugged and toyed with a blade of grass, passing it between several of her hands. "It wasn't the same for us as it was for you two. We were really young when everything... Happened." She paused, waiting for the inevitable wince from the Fang and was surprised when it never came. The shifter watched Lightning and Serah out on the field working through a defensive set and smiled.

"I've... I'm tryin' to make peace with it, 'Nille. It still tears me up inside every time I see your face but… I've still got you. And you've still got me. I've been… Workin' with Light to figure out ways to keep me in check so I don't go crazy again. She was right. Caius never taught me how to control myself, only how to hurt other people. I think… I think with Lightning, I can learn how to care."

A crackle of electricity sparked next to them as Lightning appeared with her arms folded, leaning against the tree. "Speaking of learning to care," she drawled, eyeing off Fang pointedly, "this is meant to be a  _joint_  class. So would you mind getting off your ass at some point today, Oerba?"

Fang laughed and slowly stood with a long arch of her spine, Lightning's eyes darting down at the slip of scarred abdomen that appeared as her shirt raised. "Alright, Farron. What are  _we_  working on today?" She said through a yawn while continuing to stretch.

"How to fend off an attack when using powers."

The feral grin that spread across Fang's face never ceased to make Lightning nervous, even after their shared revelation. She was already pre-emptively counting the bruises she'd later be nursing in her mind. The shifter shed her jacket and jogged out to the field, giving Serah a wink as she passed. "Now kids, listen up because old Fang here is going to teach you a thing or two about how to give yourself the upper hand."

"You wish!" Lightning retorted from a few paces away, bumping Fang with her hip as she caught up and passed her.

"Just because this one here is a speedy little shit doesn't  _mean_  shit. With fast or strong L'cie, it's about timing. Time your shots right and it won't matter how fast or how strong they are. You use that against them. Alright Sparky, let's see what you've got." Fang beckoned with her finger that rapidly shifted into a claw, the blue skin racing up her arm and covering her body.

Lightning narrowed her eyes and let a small grin cross her face before she darted forward, ready to go on the attack. This time she went in for the left side, to try to get Fang off balance but the shifter was prepared for it. The blow was blocked by a large claw and Fang brought her arms forward as the elemental bounced back, jumping from foot to foot like a boxer. "See, you gotta make yourself less of a target. Protect your face, protect your chest, try not to let them get behind you."

Fang hunched down, bringing her elbows up to cover her face. Lightning got a few shots in at the back and the shifter turned, the two entering into a dangerous dance. None of Lightning's blows had any strength behind them, and Fang was annoyed by her holding back. She held up a hand to pause the sparring to address the small class.

"You gotta wait, don't react, don't be a hero. Time your shot. Just be patient."

Vanille giggled in the background. "Not exactly one of your strong suits, Fang."

"Agreed." Serah added, the two nudging each other and whispering about the two on the field. Fang gave the two younger women a scowl and then turned back to Lightning.

"Well come on then, Sunshine, I ain't got all day."

As Lightning surged forward, Fang fell back. It threw the elemental off balance and Fang managed to whip her hands around to capture her opponent. Lightning found herself pinned with her arms caught behind her from Fang's massive claws. She struggled in the grip but couldn't get free without hurting her friend. The others sat on the sidelines applauding the move, some cheering Fang on, others cheering for Lightning. A handful of them were exchanging money.

"Come on, Light. Clock's tickin' sweetheart. I've seen you get out of worse binds than this." Fang purred in her ear, the deliberate sultry tone sending shivers up Lightning's neck.

"I... I don't want to hurt you."

There was a slight pressure in Lightning's shoulders as Fang pulled her wrists back a little, not enough to hurt but just enough to feel uncomfortable. "What if you aren't left with a choice? You've been hesitating with me all morning. Knock it off. The likes of Caius, or the Sanctum won't give you the opportunity to hesitate." Fang continued to talk in a low tone, her lips just grazing against the elemental's ear. "I can take everything you've got to give me, Light. So quit holdin' out on me."

A bolt of electricity surged through them both and Fang found herself blown clear across the field. Her jacket smoked where it had been singed and she patted herself down as she laid sprawled in the grass.

"Fang!" Lightning's worried voice called out from the other side of the training grounds. The others were all running over to check on her as Fang let out a cough and got to her feet on shaky legs. It had been quite a bit of time since she had felt the full force of the elemental's powers, and it took more than a few seconds for the ringing in her ears to fade.

She held up a lazy hand to show she was alright, and brushed herself off. "What a rush," Fang breathed as the elemental zipped across the field just ahead of the others. "Didn't know you had that in you, taser."

Lightning blushed and looked away with a stern expression, finding something in the distance to focus her attention on. "I was... I... I'm sorry, I lost control." She muttered, feeling embarrassed about the outburst of electricity. She felt Fang's fingers guide her gaze back with a careful tilt of her jaw.

"Don't even stress about it, Light. You did good. We need that strength. You should never be afraid to hold back, especially with me."

Lightning swallowed hard and fidgeted under the warmth from Fang being so close. What a stupid, stupid time for her childhood crush to rear its distracting head again. But then, she couldn't really figure out if it was the past she was holding onto, or if it was this Fang, this present woman her friend had grown into that she was finding herself attracted to.

"Come on, let's go again. I'm not gonna let you zap me twice you cheeky thing."

That smile. That gods be damned knowing smile. There was a certain depth to it, not only did it hold the memories of the countless times Lightning had seen it before being conned into doing something incredibly reckless... It also held the promise of future reckless things with a friend by her side. She couldn't help but return the grin, seeing Fang's eyes lighting up at the mirrored expression.

"You're on, Sharptooth."

A rich laughter barked across the grounds as Fang got back into position. She held up her hand and gave her fingers a crooked motion, signalling Lightning to begin. The others settled back on the side lines to observe.

Lightning shot forward at a slightly slower pace and leapt into the air, using her electricity to boost her height. Fang prepared herself for the attack but hesitated as she caught a familiar scent on the wind. Dark tendrils wisped from the ground in between them and Fang sprinted forward to tackle Lightning out of the way. They both hit the ground hard and skidded across the grass, Fang twisting with the elemental in her arms to protect her from the fall.

A figure staggered out from the darkness and Lightning was already pushing herself off of Fang to defend against the intruder. She moved to strike when she was yanked back by a clawed hand.

"Wait, Light. Just wait."

The shifter pushed past her and ran to the man who fell to his knees. She picked him up and carried him over to the side, motioning for Vanille to get a bottle of water. Fang shifted her hands back to human form and gently took him by the face, checking the wounds. "Shadow Hunter, what the hell have you gotten yourself into you bloody idiot?"

"S-sorry, Fang. I... I know it was wrong of me to come here... But... I didn't have a choice."

"You know him, Fang?" Lightning asked, hesitant and wary of the sudden appearance of the stranger. Serah ran over and gasped as she caught sight of their surprise visitor.

"Noel, what happened?" She asked, startling her older sibling.

Lightning had forgotten that Serah would have likely had a friendship with more than just Fang. It made her pause in her own movements. She had spent so much time trying to sway Fang to the Haven's line of thinking that she had completely forgotten about her own sister. On the surface level, Serah didn't seem to hold Caius in high esteem. But that meant nothing when it came to some of the more liberal policies.

The rogue L'cie coughed and gratefully took the water from Vanille, giving her a weary smile. "Thank you... Vanille, yeah? Fang's told me a lot about you." He leant on his shifter friend for support and closed his eyes. "We were on a routine mission, you know the... Usual... But we were ambushed by the Sanctum. Fang they... They took Ifrit."

The guttural growl was out of Fang's throat before she could even stop it. The sound made the others shrink back nervously, with the exception of Lightning who stood her ground. "What exactly were you doing to warrant the attention of the Sanctum in the first place?" She asked hesitantly, wincing at the immediate defensive reaction from the shifter.

"The fuck does it matter, Light? He's my brother. I grew up with him. I ain't leavin' him to rot in a Sanctum cell."

The flare of jealousy that spiked in Lightning's mind was instantaneous, and electricity unconsciously flickered across her skin. She found her reaction unflattering, and had to suppress her feelings on the matter to remain focused. They helped Noel inside and Vanille took him down to the med bay with Serah in tow.

Fang moved to follow but a gentle tug on her wrist made her hesitate. She turned, preparing for the inevitable argument, but found Lightning looking away with a tight jaw. "Look, Light... If you wanna get your piece out about telling me not to go after Gadot..."

The elemental placed a hand on Fang's shoulder to silence her and felt how tense the muscles were. "I'm not saying not to go. But if you rush in while angry... You don't know if they're prepared for a retaliation or rescue attempt. You don't know if you're walking into a trap."

There was a visible deflation in Fang's demeanour, and she rubbed her face with her hands in frustration. "You can't ask me to leave him, Light. Regardless of whatever you lot have going on with Raines, or how you feel towards Caius and Valhalla. I will not leave my family to die." She growled, tensing as Lightning cupped her face with her hands.

"I'm not. Asking you to. I am asking you, to not go in blind. Please, Fang... I only just got you back. I don't want to lose you again. Let's... Gather intel; let me call Raines, see what he knows."

Fang immediately paled, and she tried to back away from her friend. "You can't be serious, I don't trust him."

"Do you trust me?"

The question was striking in its blunt delivery, and Fang's heart skipped at the intensity of Lightning's stare. "You know I do." She whispered quietly. Fang inhaled sharply when she was pulled into a tight embrace, the elemental sliding her arms around her neck.

"Then trust me to do the right thing. And we will go together."

* * *

 

"The whole thing stinks of a trap." Snow muttered, crawling through the brush towards the facility. Fang couldn't disagree. But then, who was laying the trap? Raines? The others they'd tangled with when rescuing Yuj? Either way the Sanctum would be prepared, and not willing to allow any further L'cie to be taken so easily.

"I don't care." Fang growled, flexing her claws and putting on her mask. Gadot was her brother, her family. Even if she had found her true family once again, she wasn't going to walk away and abandon him. She tensed as she felt a hand squeeze her wrist, and Lightning pressed close to her so nobody else heard them.

"Keep your head about you, Yun. Please. I don't want to lose anyone tonight rescuing your friend,  _especially_ you."

This Sanctum facility wasn't the holding base in the forest with a handful of guards. The location tucked into the mountains was heavily fortified, guards everywhere and the entire place lit up like Christmas. There was nowhere they could sneak in this time. Fang growled and tried to keep her cool. It wasn't just her life on the line. The others were with her, Sazh included. He knew more than any of them that when it came to Gadot, Fang was leaving regardless of whether anyone was with her. At least this way they could have the best chance of success of getting everyone home alive with as little collateral damage as possible.

Yuj walked up to Fang and gave her a pat on the back with a determined smile. "We'll get your friend back, just like you guys did for me. And I think I know a way in. Vanille and Serah have been helping me practice."

He walked quietly along the perimeter, until they came across a river that led into the facility by the docks. When the others followed him and caught up, Lightning tilted her head curiously. "What have you got in mind?" She asked, her eyes lighting up as he parted the water and started to walk onto the riverbed. "Wow. Ok. What do you need?"

"A small group, no more than three of you. I can't make this any bigger and we're going to need to go… Under."

Fang was of course going, as was Lightning. That left one more space for the others and Snow raised his hand as it turned to ice. "Someone needs to watch your backs and keep you three out of trouble…" He drawled, earning a kiss on the cheek from Serah when her sister wasn't looking.

Sazh stayed with Vanille, Serah and Hope, the young redhead passing a small device to Fang before they parted. "Get this into their network so we can have eyes on the schematics. If Hope knows where he's going he can teleport in and get your friend out. Then you just need to focus on getting out. Be safe."

"You too, 'Nille." Fang replied quietly, giving Vanille a quick kiss on the top of the head. She gave Serah's shoulder a firm squeeze as well and leant in close. "You keep them safe, little one. And if there's trouble, give them hell."

In reality, Fang would have much preferred Serah with them than Snow. She knew more about the small elemental's powers than the icy oaf Serah had been seeing behind Lightning's back. Still, if there was anyone Fang trusted to keep her sister safe, it was her. Sighing, she followed Lightning down to the banks, stepping in behind Yuj. The water elemental glanced behind him with a brief nod before pressing forward.

"Be a bunch of darlings and huddle up will you? The less space I gotta make here the easier it'll be."

Snow stood close to Yuj while Lightning huddled in close, waiting for the water to close behind them before slipping and arm around Fang's waist. There was an uneasy, claustrophobic feeling to the water closing over their heads but not touching them as they moved closer into the river towards the facility. Lightning felt relieved when Fang swung a protective arm over her shoulder, and she took a moment while walking slowly beneath the surface of the river to revel in the warmth of the shifter while being surrounded by cold, dark water.

"We going to be ok, Fang?"

"You keep asking that, and I keep telling you it's fine. I got your back. And I know you got mine. Don't worry. I won't make things difficult for that arsehole Raines. I know he's risking a lot with giving us the intel to find Gadot."

Yuj came to a halt by the docks, watching as a searchlight listed lazily over the surface. After it had darkened once again, he moved closer towards the wharf and found a ladder. Focusing his energy he shunted the space upwards, parting the water carefully to allow everyone to get through and climb. They hid behind a set of storage crates, trying to figure out their next move.

Fang had closed her eyes and taken a deep breath, hiding the smile on her face in present company. She knew the scent all too well. A hand snuck out of the shadows and tapped Fang on the shoulder, handing her an access card before disappearing again. "Thanks, gorgeous," she whispered and silently leapt over the crates, knocking out two of the guards nearby.

"I see your friend Noel followed us," Lightning sighed, shaking her head at the lack of secrecy in this mission when Raines was putting himself at risk of being discovered. They dragged the guards away and crept to the door, Fang using the card she'd been given to get into the building.

Glancing at a set of shadows, the shifter hissed at the darkness, hoping that Noel was around. "Hey, Hunter. Do you think you could find the network room and get this device into it? We need eyes on the place so we know what we're walking into."

"On it," Noel replied, stepping out of the inky shadows and snatching the device. He disappeared back into the wall and left them alone. Lightning was uneasy about him helping. He was an unknown.

"Are you sure it's safe trusting that with him?"

The glare she received in response made her shrink back away from the Pulsian. "You kidding me, Light? Common goals and all that? Gadot is Noel's family too. He came to us for help. Don't start this now."

" _Hey, It's Hex. I'm in._ "

Thankfully Vanille chimed in before an ill-timed argument broke out in the middle of a rescue mission. Lightning frowned and filed it away for later, conceding that for now, the Valhalla zealot was helping them.

" _Gadot is down in the interrogation cells from the looks of things. Sub level five, east sector._ "

Lightning tapped the communicator in her ear and looked up at Fang. She knew she'd crossed the line but there was no time for an apology. "Let's go get your friend." She said quietly, bowing her head as she moved on.

There was a bit of resistance along the way, but Lightning and Fang worked in tandem to take them out without serious injury. The elemental was pleased to see no brutal violence that Fang was so notorious for, the shifter heeding her many lessons and determined to listen to the teachings of the Haven for once.

"Uh, guys?" Yuj called out as they approached a corner, carefully peeking around it. "We have a problem."

"What kind of problem?" Fang asked, her voice biting and on the edges of anger. She was tired of the slow approach, she could have mowed through all these wretched Sanctum scum by now, but couldn't bear to bring herself to do it. She didn't want to disappoint Lightning.

"The turret kind of problem. I count at least six guards, a turret, and a very big door to the interrogation wing."

"Fuck. That kind of problem." Fang sighed, pressing the heel of her palm into her face to rub her eye. Snow stepped forward and extended his hand to make a small sheet of crystal clear ice to use as a mirror. A smile crept across his face and he gave a thumbs up.

"Got an idea. I paid attention to your lessons, Fang. Light, Yuj, gonna need some help." Snow whispered and turned back to the corridor. He threw an ice shard at a nearby firehose and loosened the tap. The dripping water was all Yuj needed to draw the rest of his element out. The hose saturated the hall, covering it in a thin layer of liquid. Lightning had already concluded where this was going and with a knowing smile, shot out a flurry of low voltage electricity that travelled quickly atop the surface of the water. The guards were too busy complaining about being ankle deep in water to notice anything further to worsen their day.

The electricity shot through the guards and disabled the turret, leaving them all unconscious in the hallway. Yuj drew the water back into the fire hose and Snow froze it, stemming the flow and removing any danger for them. Fang watched in awe and held a hand to her chest.

"God, remind me to shed a happy tear for this moment later. Couldn't be prouder of you kids for actually listening and applying what I taught."

"You're a good teacher, Fang. We're lucky to have you." Snow replied with an easy grin. They raced down the hallway and stood before the massive doors to the interrogation sector. The ice elemental froze the steel, making it brittle. Fang kicked it hard, shattering it from its hinges.

"Hex, you got enough to get Diabolos in here?" Lightning asked through her comms piece, moving up closer to inspect the cells in the darkened hallway.

" _Negative. I think the guards you knocked out earlier have been spotted because comms traffic is lighting up like crazy. Sazh doesn't want to risk him."_

Fang snarled, so close yet so far. How would they get to Gadot and get him out now? A decision would be made for them as an explosion suddenly went off on the other side of the compound, sending the guards across the facility into a panic.

"What the hell was that?" Lightning hissed, looking around for the source of the disruption. "Noel's going for the less subtle approach and trying to get us all killed?"

The L'cie in question appeared from a shadow and gave her a lazy salute. "Wasn't going to leave this place without giving them a mess to clean up, otherwise what good is the party? Gadot's in cell twenty-three."

Fang took off at a sprint, racing down the cell block and ripping the door from its hinges in an almost panicked fury. Alarms began to blare through the complex but at this point she was beyond caring. "Ifrit!"

The fire elemental was bound with a power dampener fixed around his neck, chained to a wall. "Still... All that time away from us and you're still goin' with the formalities, Fang."

"Shut up, you big idiot." The shifter sniffed, trying to keep her emotions in check after such a violent reunion with someone she considered a brother. She ripped the chains from the wall and broke the shackles apart with a roar. He leant away from her when she went to do the same with the dampener.

"Hang on there, I like my head being attached to my shoulders thank you very much."

"Allow me." Lightning stepped into the cell and quickly moved over to them, pointing her index finger at the control panel on the collar. It short circuited the device and allowed it to be pried from around his throat. A sudden flare of fire allowed Gadot to melt the rest of his restraints, and he sighed with relief.

Helping him to his feet, Fang and Lightning walked over to the doorway to find a very nervous Snow. "Guys there are a... Lot of guys with guns headed in this direction." He immediately started to make an ice wall barrier and they opened fire.

Fang grabbed Lightning by the wrist and pulled her around the corner to shield her. "We need to split up. Get Yuj and Snow back to the docks, we'll follow."

"No I'm not leaving you behi-"

Lightning was silenced when Fang gripped her by the back of the neck and ran a more human-looking thumb along her jawline. "I'm not dyin' here today  _or_  disappearing. I reckon I got a fair few reasons to come home now."

Swallowing hard, Lightning nodded with a quick hug around Fang's neck. "I'll hold you to that, Oerba."

"Kick my arse for all this later, Farron." The shifter quipped with a slight raise of her eyebrow. Lightning grabbed Yuj and Snow and retreated down another corridor with one last glance back at Fang as they disappeared from sight. Gadot considered them and looked up at Fang.

"I'm sure there's... A fascinating story behind all that, old friend."

"Yeah later, and over several drinks if we survive this."

Now forcibly split up from the others by the gun fire, Fang ran and half carried Gadot through the hallways, before coming to a halt when she came face to face with commander Rosch.

"L'cie scum."

He cocked the pistol and aimed it square at her head and fired without hesitation. Fang dropped Gadot to the ground and braced for the impact. A dark shadow loomed in front of her, Noel's abilities consuming the bullet for her.

"Sorry I'm late!" He joked, stepping from the darkness with a frown. Noel watched as Fang darted forward and knocked the weapon from Rosch's hand. She punched the commander in the jaw hard, sending him to the ground.

"There will be justice for the crimes you've done against humanity, Yaag. You will pay. Just not tonight."

As she walked away Noel and Gadot both stared in disbelief. She approached with a shrug and helped her fiery friend up from the ground. "Fang... You ain't gonna... But everything he and his kind have done... What about Maqui?"

Fang shook her head with a resigned expression. "No, Ifrit. If I kill him it makes them right. It makes every terrible thing they use to justify their hatred of our kind correct. I won't prove them right."

Gadot straightened, unable to believe what he was hearing. His eyes narrowed and he reached over to touch the inside of Fang's wrist gently to get her attention. "Not even when winter is setting in?" He watched as Fang's face went slack and her pupils dilated at his question. She turned to Yaag slowly, baring her canines in a rage.

Blinking slowly, Fang found herself back outside on the docks, catching up with the others. Lightning waved her over to the pier and she walked over, taking a little more time than she should have.

"Come on, Fang!" Lightning called out, taking her by the wrist and dragging her over to the ladder.

"You... You first..." The shifter said quietly, looking back towards the building. She remembered that Gadot had asked her something, but then after that everything was blank. She didn't know how much time had passed or what had transpired, and it made her nervous.

Lightning raised an eyebrow at her and slid down the ladder, waiting for Fang while Yuj strained to keep the water away from them. She was worried about Fang, how despondent the shifter looked. She ran a tentative hand along Fang's arm when her friend finally got down the ladder and smiled gently. "Hey, we did it. Noel got Gadot and got to safety. Noel said he'd find a safe way to catch up with you soon, and keep his end of the deal to keep Caius away from the Haven."

"Oh, ok. Good. That's... that's good."

"... Fang?"

The shifter shook herself and nodded to Yuj to proceed, walking with the group to get away from the pier. "Sorry. Just... Pretty overwhelming evening."

Lightning seemed to understand and didn't press the issue, knowing it would have been hard coming to the rescue of her former family. She kept Fang in the corner of her peripherals while she talked quietly with Snow, watching Fang trail her fingers through the wall of water that surrounded them. She didn't notice the blood being cleaned from the claws by the passing river.

High above them, Gadot stood on a rocky outcropping further up from the base, clutching at his rib as Caius approached. "Well, Ifrit?" The looming shifter asked, waiting impatiently.

"Seems this whole farce of me getting  _captured_ by the Sanctum paid off, boss. It was as you suspected. Fang's been hanging with Katzroy and the Haven propaganda, and they got in deep. She almost wouldn't kill that bastard Sanctum commander."

"Almost...?"

Gadot gave a shrug and lit a fire on his fingertips to warm himself. "Lebreau's conditioning is still intact, probably needs a tune up though. Didn't see the other kid, Serah."

Caius gave a cruel grin and straightened his jacket. "We don't need an explosive L'cie to make an explosion, Ifrit. We only need someone willing to make a sacrifice for the greater good."

A grimace appeared on Gadot's face and he extinguished his fingers, folding his arms in displeasure. "Caius, I don't like where this is going. I really ain't comfortable about the fact that you had me dragged in and beaten by the Sanctum to try to draw Fang out of hiding. And I  _especially_  am not comfortable about the fact that you've been basically brainwashing her with Yeul and Lebreau."

The shifter darted forward and wrapped his enormous fingers around Gadot's throat, lifting him from the ground. "It is not your place to question, Ifrit. Only to follow. Or do I need to remind you of some of your own phrases?"

Shaking his head in fear, Gadot was released and he fell to the ground, gasping for breath. Caius sneered at him and began to walk away from the outcropping, back towards the forest.

"Head back to the compound and get some rest. Now that we have finally found Fang... We're going to bring our little sister home."


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm dumping a mid-week update in here and then I'm RUNNING AWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY.

It had been a few days since the... Explosive rescue mission, and there were two things that weighed heavily on Lightning's mind. One, that she noticed how withdrawn Fang had become, how much more the shifter seemed to flinch around the others, including herself. It was as if the brief reunion with Fang's former friends made her backslide, and Lightning was at a loss of how to get through to her.

The other thing that concerned her was that she hadn't heard from Raines, at all. Not even his off-sider, Rygdea has made an appearance. It worried Lightning, if she was being honest with herself. She hoped nothing had gone wrong. Trying to distract herself in the training room for the last several hours had not worked, instead leaving her idly picking at the threads in the carpet as she leant against the wall behind the workout equipment.

"That's a pretty big frown on your face there, sis. Want to talk about it?"

Tilting her head up, she saw her sister sitting down next to her with a sympathetic smile. Serah handed over a tea and rest her head against Lightning's shoulder. "The others are looking for you, you know. Fang included. What's got you destroying the flooring in here?"

"How did you even know I'd be here?" Lightning asked, taking a grateful sip of the tea. The peach mixed with herbs always soothed her frayed nerves, and would be one of the first things her mother would bring her whenever she was upset or stressed.

Serah smiled and reached over, giving her sister's knee a squeeze. "Because I know you, and I know when something's bothering you. It's about Fang, isn't it?"

"You could tell that one too, huh?"

"Not exactly, but its bothering me as well. She hasn't been... alright since she got back."

It was true, Lightning noted with a sigh. The nightmares had been acting up again, and there were several times that she'd seen Fang get startled by her own transformations. Before, when she had first arrived she spent most of her time mid-shift and the claws were almost always present. Now however it was the opposite, where Fang almost seemed to fear her shifted forms, to the point of outright refusing to change altogether.

"I'm worried that something's happened, Claire. On the mission. That she is going to leave us."

The concept made Lightning's stomach lurch at the possibility. Neither of them wanted Fang to vanish or thought that she would, but the lost look on her face leaving the facility haunted Lightning in her sleep.

"I'll... I'll go talk to her. Maybe the others said something, maybe they..." The elder Farron and stood, handing the mug to Serah. "I've gotta go."

The speed of which she left had Serah spilling her tea on her with a hiss. "A little warning, next time please? God. Ow."

Lightning ignored her, racing through the mansion looking for the elusive shifter. She found her out by the garage, working on a truck while muttering to herself.

"Don't leave."

Fang turned at the sound of the breathless voice, and found Lightning hanging onto the door. She put the wrench down and grabbed a nearby towel to clean her hands, raising her eyebrow at the elemental.

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't. Don't pretend like you haven't been distant, and weird, and... and... looking like you're going to bolt at the first sign of trouble since getting back from the Sanctum base."

While not a blinding revelation by any means for the shifter, it was now obvious that her distance was very much noticed. Fang threw the towel down and walked over to the elemental, dragging her away from the door and further into the garage. "Light... I'm not goin' anywhere, sweetheart. Why would... Is this because we had to split up back at the base?"

"You've been  _weird,_  Fang." Lightning replied, wrenching her wrist free. "Ever since the mission to rescue your friend Gadot. We are... We're worried."

Fang sighed and hung her head. She didn't know how to tell her friend that she has a huge chunk missing of that night. How she had flashes of nightmares that she was terrified of the thought that they were more than just bad dreams. So, she deflected and ran a hand along Lightning's arm. She pushed it down, opting to face it later and forced a smile onto her face.

"I'm sorry, darlin'. I don't mean to worry you. And I'm sorry I've had my head up my arse for the last few days. It's just... Seeing Gadot and Noel just reminded me of... How close they are to this place, and just... Maybe I am on a time limit here after all. I don't want your sister to get caught in the crossfire of all this mess. Any further than she already has."

"Caius isn't coming near her, nor is he coming anywhere near you." Lightning replied bluntly, folding her arms defensively. "I won't let him. None of us will."

The shifter smiled and took Lightning by the hand, leading her out to the yard. She looked up at the sky and saw the edges of clouds off in the far distance. "I just don't know how to fix it."

"Whatever there is to fix, we'll fix it together." Lightning replied sternly, frowning at her friend. Fang couldn't help but find the expression adorable, and wrapped her arms around the pinkette.

"I still think this place reeks of naivety but... You're right. The likes of us would be fine in the war Caius wants, it's everyone else that would get caught in the crossfire. I don't want innocent lives lost when we can find a better way. I'm not plannin' on runnin' off now that I got Vanille back, you back, your sister too."

With a happy sigh, Lightning snuggled into Fang's shoulder, circling the brunette's waist from beneath the leather jacket she wore. Fang had forgotten how handsy her friend was in her presence, a fact that always amused her, considering Claire was always so stand-offish to anyone else beyond her and Serah. She swallowed hard as she considered what that would possibly mean, and licked her dry lips from the windy weather. Catching the not so subtle darting of cerulean eyes at the action only serving to make her heart rate increase. Thinking to herself with a low hum, Fang caught a familiar scent on the air and smiled as she slung her arm around the pinkette's shoulder.

"Come on, Sunshine. Let's go for a ride. There's something I wanna do for you."

Curious, Lightning allowed herself to be led back into the garage and over to the bike Fang had been working on. After being handed a helmet she got on the back behind the shifter, wrapping her arms around the tanned waist tightly. There was an obvious full-body shiver that ran through Fang as she kicked over the engine, roaring out of the garage and off the grounds.

They rode for a while, the overcast skies giving way to something a little darker, a little more looming as Fang guided the motorcycle towards the coast. Lightning felt her pulse quicken as she began to suspect what their destination was. Her grip tightened on the brunette and Lightning could feel a laugh as she was pressed close against Fang.

It was about an hour before they reached a decommissioned lighthouse overlooking the bay. Fang killed the engine and swung over the seat, hanging her helmet off the handle bar. "Come on, it's almost going to start!" She exclaimed, dragging Lightning up to the building. With a delicate claw, the shifter carved through the padlock on the door and opened it to step inside.

"Cool, so Sazh is now going to kill us for breaking and entering as well." Lightning drawled, earning herself a shush in response.

Fang pulled her by the wrist up the spiral staircase, the hairs on the back of their necks standing on end. They came to the top of the lighthouse and cracked the door to the balcony outside. With ease, Fang pulled herself up onto the roof, and helped Lightning up with one arm.

"You're such a show off."

"Only for you, gorgeous." Fang replied with a wink, pointing out to sea. "Check it. Storm's blowin' in off the coast. You've been practicing with that hovering stuff, right?"

Lightning nodded slowly, feeling fluttering in her stomach. She couldn't figure out if the feeling was from the approaching storm behind her or the building one in front of her with Fang.

"Good. I want some distance between us when that thing hits. You might be immune to a lightning strike but I sure as shit ain't."

"Wha-Fang. I can't. It's..." The elemental trailed off, unable to come up with any protest when the electricity was already building in her veins. She turned to watch the lightning hit off the coast as the storm got closer. Lightning gasped as she felt Fang wrap her arms around her chest and pull her back against the Pulsian's body.

"There isn't a soul around for miles, sweetheart. If you ground yourself before we get back to the bike you won't have any dramas. Sazh and his overzealous caution with elementals and their elements can go to hell. Come on," Fang purred against Lightning's ear, "I wanna see you light up the world. Go enjoy yourself."

Swallowing a few times to stop the dryness in her throat, Lightning nodded and waited while Fang untangled herself and stepped back to give her space. With a long exhale, the elemental leapt from the top of the lighthouse, skirting down to the beach on electric arcs. The storm seemed to shift, drawn to her like a magnet. When the first bolt struck towards her, she caught it in her hand and gasped at the intensity of sensation rushing through her. It charged through her body and sent her high into the air when she pushed her hands down by her sides. Another strike crackled towards her and sent her even higher still.

The rain saturated her and the wind whipped at her face, but she couldn't feel it. She was too busy riding the currents, vaulting herself higher and higher, faster and faster through the air. This was something so different to when she stood in the open fields as a teenager. This was experiencing the raw element after years of honed control of her abilities, further utilising her training to literally ride the storm.

Her laughter was rich and elated, realising that she was able to touch the very clouds herself. She felt electric, in both metaphorical and literal senses. It took a good half hour, following the storm along the coast before the wind shifted and began to move it back out to sea. Lightning could see Fang standing on the roof of the lighthouse in the distance, and drifted towards her on arcs of energy. Dropping lower each time, she practically glided her way to the beach front.

From her training she knew she had to ground herself before coming into contact with anything or  _anyone_  else, which would also stop her from attracting any further lightning in her direction. Pushing her arms against her chest, there was a small shockwave as the excess energy was shunted out of her and she closed her eyes with an exhale.

Using her own element, Lightning sent arcs from her hand, allowing her to hover up to the lighthouse roof, landing gracefully on her feet. Fang ran up to her, looking soaked from the downpour but wore the biggest grin on her face. "Gods, Light. That was incredible! You went so high! How do you feel?"

There was no possible way Lightning was going to be able to wipe the smile from her face. "Alive." She replied simply, the rain still drenching them both as they stood close on the roof.

"See? That's what happens when you don't hold yourself back and take the things you want." Fang replied, running a hand along Lightning's arm.

The words echoed and grew louder in the elemental's mind, but she couldn't bring herself to take what she really wanted. Her phone rang before she could dwell any further on the thought and she rolled her eyes as she answered. "What's up? Oh hello, Sazh. I... yes. Right. Understood." With a sigh she stepped away from Fang and ended the call. "Raines is at the house, we better see what he wants."

* * *

 

The two L'cie were greeted with a tense scene as they walked through the door, with Rygdea immediately reaching for his gun on the sight of Fang.

"Woah woah woah, what's going on here?" Lightning demanded, putting her hands up defensively and stepping in front of Fang. Raines put a hand on Rygdea's shoulder to steady him.

"We were hoping you could tell us, Miss Farron." Raines replied, his tone as dark as his expression. "That mission was a disaster. You were meant to get the captured L'cie out of the facility with minimal collateral damage and  _no casualties._  Instead, we have a massive problem on our hands. Why did the L'cie from Valhalla get involved?"

Fang growled and pressed forward, Lightning putting a hand behind her to steady the growing tension she could feel with the shifter up against her back. "Because one of them followed us. It was only Noel, who created a distraction for us to get out. That place was crawling with way more guards than you had warned us about." Lightning replied defensively. With her hand still behind her she reached for Fang's hand and held it, feeling the fingers shift slowly into claws. Clearly the topic was still a source of agitation.

"Because Yaag Rosch was on the premises, having received a tip of his own that there was going to be a rescue attempt." Raines snapped, looking exhausted and fed up. It had been a rough few days with the inquest and the cleanup.

Fang scoffed and bared her teeth at the Sanctum Director. "I'm supposed to feel sympathy for that arsehole, considerin' his track record? Whatever punishment he cops for that night he deserves."

Raines grew quiet, his back straightening. "So you truly believe that. Considering he is dead and was murdered that night, it is little surprise you feel that way."

Lightning paled and turned to face the shifter, whose face had become a dark mask of fury. She prayed that her friend hadn't slipped up. After they'd come so far together, It threatened to break her heart. "Fang... Did you..."

"Come off it, I think I'd remember killing someone. 'Specially someone as venomous as Rosch." Fang bit back, her lips curling in a dangerous snarl. held a stoic demeanour, but internally she was panicking. The huge gap in her memory from the night... It was entirely plausible that she could have killed him. She searched Lightning's eyes for support but instead found doubt. "Right, so that's how its gonna be then. Good to know that you all thought the best of me then."

Lightning looked away, feeling hurt and confused by what was unfolding before her. She wanted to believe Fang, desperately so. But facts were facts and her track record wasn't exactly... Clean. "Was it all to save face?" She asked, trying to keep her voice even. "What's the point of finding a better way if you're going to just run with the status quo at the first opportunity?"

The question cut through Fang like a knife and she felt betrayed. Of course she would always be seen as a mindless beast. She had hoped that Lightning would be the first to see through that but... Apparently not. Why would Caius ever have been wrong? Her gaze dropped and she turned her head to stop the others from seeing the tears.

"Screw you. Screw all of you."

Fang turned and stormed from the building, leaving the others behind. "Let her go. She won't get far. We'll need to bring her in for questioning at this point. If she's responsible, we'll have no choice." Raines said quietly, but Fang caught his words on the edges of her hearing. She snarled as the rest of her arms shifted, Fang ripping off the jacket to give them room.

Stalking through the woods to try to calm down, she whirled with her claws outstretched at the sound of a snapping branch. Noel stepped out of the shadows, his expression grim.

"What the hell happened at the Sanctum facility, Noel?"

"Fang... I..."

"Answer me!" She roared, surging forward and grabbing him by the front of his shirt. "Did I kill Rosch?"

Noel looked everywhere but her eyes, trying to keep his face away from her sharp fangs. "Did. I kill him. Or not." Fang spoke again, her anger making her shift more rapidly the blue skin creeping up her neck.

"Yes."

She dropped him on the ground and began to pace, running practiced claws through her hair without cutting herself. "Shit. Noel, fucking hell that makes them  _right about me_. Why can't I remember? Am I starting to not remember my shifts? Did Caius do this to me?"

The shadow L'cie grabbed her by the shoulder and turned her around. "You have to leave.  _Now._  Caius knows you're here and he is coming for you."

Fang paled and her breath caught in her throat. She knew it would eventually come, and to think otherwise was sheer naive fantasy. But in light of recent revelations, would the others have her back after all? Would they still protect her, knowing they were right about their assumptions and she was a killer after all? Could she leave her sister behind again? Could she walk away from Lightning once more, knowing... "I can't just vanish again, Noel. My family is here. Vanille. And Lightning... I..."

"She will turn on you the moment she finds out you killed the commander, Fang."

"I don't care. I'll.... I'll accept my fate. I can't just disappear from the woman I love."

Noel turned away with a downcast expression. "God, Fang. I wish you hadn't said that... I'm out of time and they're watching. If you won't run, I've gotta bring you in. I'm... Sorry, Fang. We need your help to finish what we started. Caius wants you home." Noel said quietly, his eyes looking haunted. Fang brushed his hand off his shoulder and stepped away from him.

"What are you talking about? I've already told you I'm not willing to participate in this madness anymore. Surely you see that this won't end well for any of us?"

Caius stepped out of the shadows and surged forward, gripping Fang by the throat and lifting her off the ground. "You betray your family with your absence, Fang. You will heed your calling and come home."

Struggling in his grip, Fang roared at her mentor and tried to pry his hands from her neck. She hoped there was some proximity alarm, something to warn the others that Caius was here, but no sirens blared, nobody came for her.

"Sweetie, we don't have a choice. It's either them or us." A sultry voice whispered in her ear, Siren stepping out from the shadows Noel had created behind her. "You remember that, don't you, Fang? Don't you want to come home?"

"Lebreau... Don't..." Fang said weakly, the voice making her thoughts feel like slow dripping tar. "Don't do this..."

Even the basilisk looked conflicted, her eyes darting towards Noel. With a sad shake of his head Lebreau continued with a heavy sigh. "Come on, Fang. These Haven traitors are working with the humans. With Sanctum. We're your only real family. How could you side away from your own brothers and sisters? The humans condemn us, torture us, put us to death. Don't you want vengeance? Didn't putting an end to Rosch feel good? You know he deserved it. They all deserve it. You know this."

The voice was like silk. It wrapped around Fang's mind and sunk in deep. She was right. The humans needed to pay, and she growled low in her throat while Lebreau whispered into her ear, conditioning her mind. Noel watched as his friend's eyes glazed over and he looked away. It wasn't fair, it didn't feel right. But with what Caius was planning, to not have Fang with them would mean certain doom for all of them. Whether that doom was at the hands of the Sanctum or their increasingly manic leader, he couldn't tell.

"These people here? They're just traitors. You don't know them, they aren't your family, they're your enemies. So are you coming home with us, Fang? To fight with your family? Your  _real_  family?" Lebreau pressed, watching the Pulsian's eyes roll back in her head.

"Yes." The drone of Fang's voice was blank and devoid of any emotion, relaxing her grip on the wrist around her throat. When Caius put her down and released her, she showed no signs of rebelling or running, just staring blankly into the distance while unmoving.

"Good girl," Siren purred, nodding towards Caius. "She's behaving herself now. Let's go." A dark shadow opened up and consumed the four L'cie, leaving an empty space where they had stood.


	16. Chapter 16

"We've searched the grounds, there's no sign of Fang." Snow reported as he walked into the office, Serah in tow. "Where could she have vanished to?"

Lightning appeared in a flash of electricity, looking considerably out of breath. The others raised an eyebrow at her while Vanille calmly handed her a water bottle. "How far did you go?" The redhead asked as Lightning downed half the bottle in one hit.

"State lines." She panted, catching her breath. "Both of them. Nothing. Tried every conceivable path she could have taken and come up empty."

Raines folded his arms and stared out the window, his expression grim. "Her disappearance is essentially an admission of her guilt, Farron. Surely you see this."

Withholding a growl, Lightning looked down at her feet to try to stop herself from being consumed by hurt and anger. There had to be more to it. They had come so far together, the restraint Fang had been showing. It couldn't have been just an act. She cursed at herself with a click of her tongue. The fact that all that work appeared to be for nothing hurt her. The fact that it was Fang made it burn.

"We will find her, not you." Lightning replied, her voice firm and unwavering. She wanted to at least hear the words from Fang's mouth, before she disappeared into a Sanctum holding cell for the rest of her likely short life. The sobering realisation that Sanctum could very well execute Fang for her crimes made Lightning sick to her stomach. She needed to find her friend.

"Consider this an official Sanctum manhunt. I'm sorry. It's out of my hands."

"Be reasonable, Raines. If she is really who you're accusing her to be, we would have a better chance of surviving. If she is who you're really think she is, she won't go down without a fight."

The Sanctum director moved to the door of the office, stepping past the other L'cie before stopping and placing a hand on Lightning's shoulder. "Then I pray that you find her before we do."

He left without a further word, Rygdea bowing his head and giving Vanille a sympathetic pat on the back as he followed. A dark silence settled on the L'cie in the room, nobody certain on how to proceed.

Serah bit her lip and stood closer to Snow, revelling in the supportive warmth when he put a gentle arm around her. "Sis, if she hasn't been found along any of the paths out of here, it means she hasn't vanished by conventional methods." She said quietly, drawing her sister's gaze. "Noel has likely helped her escape."

The two sisters stared at each other in silence, the tension unbearable. "So you think she's guilty too." Lightning finally spat, anger making electricity crackle from her eyes. Serah scoffed and folded her arms, trying to remain calm.

"No, I don't, Claire. But I don't know what to think about any of it, something's not right. She's either fled because she's guilty and she  _did_  kill Rosch, fled because regardless of whether she did or not she felt like she was condemned anyway... It's not like we all rushed to her defence when she was being accused of killing Rosch. We all know it's in her nature and her history."

Lightning let off a spark of her element, scorching Sazh's desk as it arced. "Just because it's in her nature doesn't mean she hasn't changed." The elder Farron snapped, stepping forward into her sister's space. Serah stood her ground, knowing she was treading on shaky territory.

"I'm not saying she  _hasn't._ But right now all we're doing is speculating. And speculating isn't helping us  _find_.  _Her_."

Snow hissed and swung his arm off Serah in a hurry, patting at his skin. "You're uh... burning up a bit there, babe." He shut up with a squeak when both sisters turned and glared at him.

She's being literal, Serah. You both need to cool your jets." Sazh spoke up while trying to scrub the blackened marks from the desk. "She's very much likely back with the others at Valhalla, if your friend Noel helped her escape. There's not a lot we can do right now. Try to get some sleep, and we'll figure out a plan to get to Fang before the Sanctum in the morning."

Ushering them all out of the office and down the hall, the others made their way to their rooms while Vanille, Serah and Lightning remained at the back of the small group of L'cie. The redhead's expression was dark, her eyes staring off into the distance, like she was looking for something the others couldn't see.

"Serah, you've known Fang longer than the rest of us in recent times. Is there a chance she could have killed Rosch?" Vanille asked, her gaze fixing on the younger elemental. Serah swallowed hard and stared between the two expecting an answer.

"If it was to protect her family, yes."

Lightning growled and turned away, being caught by a hand around her wrist. Serah stepped in close and hugged her tightly, wrapping her arms around her neck.

"She would kill without hesitation if it meant protecting us. We're her family, just as much as they are. And you know what, Claire?"

Serah drew back, so she could look her sister in the eye. "I wouldn't hesitate either." The incredibly blunt, honest response scared Lightning her breath hitching. "And neither would you."

"I... Serah..."

The younger Farron stood back from her and moved to her own room. "Get some sleep, Claire. We'll make a plan to get her back tomorrow."

Vanille watched Serah leave and then dipped her head, continuing down the hall. Drawing a shuddering breath, Lightning slipped into her room and locked the door behind her. She left the lights off, the moon providing a dull illumination.

She pulled out her phone and held it out, scrolling through to dial Fang's number. The shifter had slid it across the bed one night recently while they had been sharing a few more drinks with a smile. Lightning dialled the number and waited while holding her breath. It connected and she exhaled loudly, waiting to hear Fang's voice.

" _Well hello, gorgeous_."

"Fang. Its me. Please... Tell me you're alri-"

" _I'd love to answer and listen to that sexy voice all day, but I'm out doin' some shit. Assume it's cool, whatever I'm up to. Leave a message. Or don't, I never check this shit anyway."_

The beep piercing in its finality had Lightning hanging up her phone and throwing it across the room. She ran her fingers through her hair and sat on the edge of her bed. How could she possibly sleep when she has once again lost her friend, and once again broken a promise to stay by her side no matter what. Lightning stood and yanked open her window, climbing up onto the window sill. Looking out across the yard, she prepared herself to climb down when the sound of flapping caught her attention. She glanced up and saw Sazh hovering above her.

"Go to bed, Lightning."

The elemental growled at him, sparking electricity off her fingertips. "You're watching for me to leave because you're paranoid?"

"No, because you're predictable." Sazh sighed, giving her a sad shrug. "You're of no use to her going alone. We will work with Raines to get her safe, and give her the chance to prove herself, or defend her actions. But please go to bed, Claire. Neither Vanille or Serah can afford to lose two sisters in one day."

All of the fight left Lightning and she stepped off the ledge back into her room, sliding the window shut. Once Sazh had left to patrol the rest of the grounds, Lightning picked up her phone and checked for missed calls. Finding nothing she sighed and turned to go to bed. Pausing to pick up the Polaroid sitting on her dresser, her hands shook as she held the photo of her and Fang. A teardrop hit her hand and she bit back a sob.

* * *

Lebreau sighed as she closed the door behind her to the cell they were keeping Fang in, stretching out the muscles in her neck. She gasped as she ran into Caius, who was standing in the dark hallway, his face half hidden in shadows.

"Well?"

"She's... Coming along. Another few hours of work and she'll not remember any of them, and be back truly where she belongs." The basilisk replied, a churning in her stomach making her voice waiver. Caius just nodded and walked away, leaving Lebreau sighing sadly as she leant against the wall covered in shadows. She wasn't comfortable in the slightest with what they were doing, but she couldn't tell Caius to stop, not when the telepath was protecting him. He'd rip her throat out before she could even finish a sentence.

A hand slid around her shoulder and she gasped as she was yanked through the wall, into a dark void. The shadows nipped at her skin as they swirled, making her cold where they touched. "Always a flair for the dramatic, Noel." She drawled, folding her arms and waiting for the impending lecture. "Don't tell me you're growing soft too."

The shadow L'cie formed from the darkness, his eyes narrowed. "Surely you know this isn't right, 'breau. The fact that there was anything out into Fang in the first place that made her kill that Sanctum commander without her remembering it is deplorable. But this... This is something else."

The basilisk hissed at him in anger, thankful that they were hidden within the void of the hunter's abilities. "You think I don't know this? It breaks my heart to see our beautiful Fang reduced to this snarling, drooling beast. But Yeul's protecting Caius, and watching me like a hawk. If I even so much as step out of line or say something to let Fang have even a skerrick of will and they will kill me."

Noel felt trapped, even in the safety of the void. His shoulders sagged in defeat. "What do we do?"

"Nothing, for now. There's nothing we can do, they're watching us too much. We just need to wait for an opportune moment. Then go to those idiots at the Haven and get their help." Lebreau answered, staring off into the distance while trying to figure out a plan. "You said she knew the elemental, yeah? Lightning?"

Noel nodded as he opened up an exit to his void, allowing the basilisk to exit the darkness back into the hallway. "They grew up together. Why?"

Shaking her head, Lebreau stepped towards the cell door and dragged her fingers along on the handle. "No reason, just might give me something to work with." She disappeared behind the door and Noel vanished into the darkness.

The cell was small and simply had a chair for Lebreau and chains for Fang as she knelt on the floor in a trance. The camera blinked in the corner as a reminder, not that there needed to be. The telepath was always watching without the need for security cameras.

There was a quiet groan from Fang as the basilisk returned. It made Lebreau's heart sink to see her friend this way, and she began to regret ever letting Caius go as far as he had with his plans. From the first time he loomed behind her, put his claws against her throat and told her to start putting commands into the minds of the others, she struggled with her insidious task. She was far too used to people listening to her, and when she ordered him to release her, he only smiled and squeezed harder. The fear was real, and constantly looming over her head. She didn't know how to ask for help, especially when she was being forced to condition the minds of the other L'cie. How foolish were they, that they were blissfully ignorant of the true madness that lay beneath the surface of their shifter leader.

The subject of her thoughts opened the door slowly and stepped into the cell behind them. Lebreau's breath hitched as she felt Caius move in close behind her.

"Continue."

The order was brief but filled with malice, and Lebreau sighed as she bowed her head and continued.

"How are you feeling, Fang?" She asked, kneeling down and tilting the shifter's jaw up with gentle fingers. Fang murmured, her eyes vacant and unseeing. Lebreau hated seeing her friend like this, but for now they all had a role to play.

"Tell me about your time with the Haven, Fang." She pressed, watching Fang's gaze come back into focus.

"The... Haven? I don't... I don't remember..."

"Of course you don't remember, sweetie. You were never there."

Fang blinked, looking dazed. "I... I wasn't?" She questioned. Lebreau winced at how lost the shifter sounded, but at the pronounced clearing of a throat behind her, she continued.

"No sweetie, you had a terrible dream. You've been here the whole time."

"But... It felt real. My sister..."

Lebreau ran a gentle hand down the side of Fang's face, her expression darkening at the sound of the sad whimper. "Vanille's gone, darling. I know you still struggle with losing her after what you did, but you have to let her go and move on."

Vanille was... gone. Fang repeated the words in her mind, remembering that she hadn't seen her since that terrible night. Lebreau was right. It was likely she didn't survive. But she had felt so real, seeing the scars across her face but yet she still wore a smile.

"You were never at the Haven, Fang. Do you understand? Forget every memory you have of that place. None of it was real."

The Haven... Fang knew of the Haven. She's had far too many run ins with that bunch of narcissistic poster children for peace. "Haven is... They're the enemy."

"That's right, sweetie. You remember, don't you? Wake up and be more aware, come back to us, Fang."

Fang nodded slowly, feeling like there was something important she'd forgotten. The fuzz was clearing from her mind and she shook her head, trying to rid herself of the rest of the wooziness. "God, I feel like I need a drink... 'Breau? What the hell happened?"

Caius stepped forward, staring down at the shifter knelt on the floor. He placed a hand on Lebreau's shoulder and gripped hard, the basilisk keeping a straight face despite the pain of his clawed thumb digging into her back. "There you are, babe. Welcome back. The Haven's got a new telepath that did quite the number on you, darling. You've been trying to kill us for a week. So, sorry about the chains." She cooed with a smile, stroking the shifter's hair.

Fang paled, staring at her hands. "God, 'Breau... I would never... I'm so sorry. What a headtrip. I feel like I've been in a coma for six months."

Caius knelt down and unlocked the shackles around her wrists and helped her up. "You about were. We had to pull you out of a Sanctum facility. The Haven are working with them. We are glad you are home, and yourself again." He said quietly, the slow smile seeming a little off to fang but she couldn't place why.

"The Haven are working  _with_  the Sanctum? For Etro's sake, Caius. I knew they were dirty but this is ridiculous. Telepaths... Sanctum scum... What is going on?"

The Valhalla leader looked down at Fang, his height still imposing even when she stood. "Because winter is setting in." He growled, watching her facial features slacken and eyes glaze. Satisfied that the triggers were in place, he leant forward and stared into her hollow eyes. "The Haven and everyone involved with them are the enemy, Fang. They take from us, they put us in chains. They torture us. What do we do with our enemies, Fang?"

The shifter dipped her head with a snarl, her eyes glittering with intent. It felt good to be aware and be home amongst her family, and she shivered as the question burned through her mind. Fang's lips twisted into a cruel, dangerous grin and she brandished her claws.

"We kill them."


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprisingly, I'm not dead yet, here's a chapter.

Over the following days it felt good to get back into familiar routines, but there was this nagging at the back of Fang's mind that she was missing something. Maybe it was in the way that Noel and Gadot avoided her like she was a ghost, or that the dynamics within the group seem to have shifted. Whatever it was, it was clear to Fang that something had changed while she had been captured, but nobody would speak on it with her.

Caius watched her closely, her every interaction scrutinised. And then there were the gaps in memory, where she kept zoning out when he was talking to her. Fang was worried that her lapses in concentration was why he was being harder on her than usual. It wasn't her fault she'd been captured in the first place... Was it? Was that why everyone was avoiding her? Were they mad at her failure?

Sitting bolt upright on the couch, she snapped her fingers suddenly. The sound startled Lebreau, who had been idly perusing the television channels, trying to find something to watch. "The little one!" Fang exclaimed, looking over to Lebreau. "Serah, the girl I rescued, what happened to her?"

Lebreau had a flash of fear cross her features that was caught by the observant gaze of the shifter, before she relaxed into a disarming posture. "Oh darling, I keep forgetting you've been out of the loop. Her sister is with the Haven. She... Left when she found out and joined them. A shame really. The kid had a lot of potential."

Fang's shoulders sagged as she leant back into the couch. Figures that the young pinkette would have vanished. She had hoped she had found a friend that reminded her of Vanille. Yet... "Guess it just wasn't meant to be." She murmured, smiling sadly as Lebreau ran her fingers through her hair and gave her scalp a gentle scratch.

"You've still got us, darling." Lebreau cooed as she felt Fang lean into her, the shifter's quiet contented sounds sending piercing stabs of hurt through her heart. She hated that they were being forced to do this, and she needed to find a way to help her friend... And help themselves in the process. Noel had mentioned that she knew Serah's sister... Maybe there was an angle there... She leant down and gave Fang a kiss on the ear, pulling her closer as she began to gently rub the back of the shifter's neck. "I wouldn't worry about her, sweetie. After all, it's isn't like you two were close."

"But..." Fang pouted, the hollow feeling in her chest growing a little bigger. She closed her eyes as Lebreau kissed the top of her ear again, her thoughts slowing down until she drifted off from the basilisk's whispering.

" _Remember everything, when they call you by your true name."_

"Lebreau."

The raven-haired woman jumped with a start when Caius appeared behind them. She put on a smile and kept massaging Fang's neck. "What can I do for you,  _master_?" she drawled, giving the slightest bit of attitude out of spite.

"Send Fang out on a field test. I need to know that she is ready." Caius growled, a malicious smile crossing his face that was all teeth. He leant forward, placing a clawed hand firmly on Lebreau's shoulder and gripped hard. "Make her hate them."

Lebreau swallowed hard and took Fang by the hand, drawing the shifter's gaze. "I'm sorry darling..." She whispered sadly, wincing as Caius dug his claws into her shoulder, just barely avoiding breaking skin. "Caius has a task for you. You will listen to him and you will carry out what is necessary."

Fang's mind went blank and her head hung forward, her expression relaxing and eyes closing as the L'cie's powers took hold. It was so nice to listen to Lebreau's voice and float, letting the euphoria flow through her.

"If you run into anyone from the Haven, don't listen to anything they say. They're only pretending to be your friend. They wanted to turn you in. To be taken by Sanctum. Do you understand? Avoid conflict unless absolutely necessary. Don't kill them. Sleep until I tell you to wake."

"Lebreau..." Caius warned, and the basilisk turned, slapping the claws away from her shoulder. Watching Fang's lips part and her jaw hang open, Lebreau beared her teeth in a snarl and she hissed at her leader.

"Don't be stupid, Caius. If you just send her on a murder spree like the mindless beast you always accuse her of being, they'll know something is up and try to incapacitate her, and you'll have lost everything. Far better for them, and us, to think that she went willingly."

She held her breath as Caius studied her, before nodding approvingly. "Good. Good thinking. I can't have them interfering. Fang," he turned, snapping his fingers to get her attention. The shifter slowly tilted her head up, her eyes glazed while still under the influence of Lebreau's abilities. "Time to send a message, but Lebreau is right. The Haven only want to drag you away in chains but... They are still our brother and sister L'cie. Engage only if they have to."

"Yes, Caius." Fang droned, slowly getting to her feet. Lebreau whispered in her ear to wake her and she gave a few confused blinks before looking embarrassed.

"If I'm boring you, feel free to tell me, beast." Caius drawled, Fang hanging her head with a soft whine.

"S-sorry Caius, I... tell me what I need to do."

The larger shifter looked down at Fang with a growl, before turning to leave the room. He expected her to follow, and was pleased when there was an unconscious compulsion to obey him. Siren had done her job well. Caius pulled Fang into a room and slammed the door behind him, taking the young shifter away for whatever diabolical plans he had in store.

Lebreau watched them leave with a saddened expression, feeling like she was losing her friend all over again. Cursing the position they all found themselves in, held at a telepathic knifepoint to do Caius' bidding... this was a far cry from the original purpose he had set out to build. Not someone willing to use his family as tools to start a war.

Taking a deep breath, she waited until they were clear before looking around for anyone else. She wasn't going to accept this as their fate. "Noel? If you're hiding, I need a favour..."

* * *

 

Serah stormed after her sister who was making preparations to leave with the others. "Now just you wait one second, Claire! Just because you're faster than me doesn't mean you get to just run away!" she yelled, kicking open the door to the locker room. Vanille averted her gaze instantly, the hurt and strained emotions obvious. "I don't believe that news report for a second, and you shouldn't either."

Lightning slammed the locker shut with a growl, resting her head against the closed door. "Tch... She's made her choice." She spat bitterly. There had been too many news reports over the last few weeks that featured an escalation of violence from the Valhalla terrorists, and several instances of footage had Fang at the helm of it. Her need to defend her old friend had quickly evaporated in the wake of every news story of the shifter's violence, no longer able to find her voice in the midst of so much death.

It hurt so much to witness it, to truly see just how quickly Fang ran back to Caius and his genocidal ways. Was anything real, that they'd spoken about? Lightning hissed at herself through her teeth, for being stupid enough to care. She couldn't afford to be so nostalgic or sentimental. Whatever this shifter L'cie was, her old best friend wasn't on that list.

Serah frowned and walked over, placing a gentle hand on her sister's shoulder and ignoring the static zap she received from the contact. None of it made any sense. It didn't sound like Fang at all. Even at Valhalla, Fang shied away from using violence. She knew full well that escalation was only going to lead to all-out war, and she didn't want that for anyone, especially her own family.

"Claire, something isn't right. We've both known Fang for long enough to know that this isn't her. Keeping her fellow L'cie safe is one thing, but this? This is something else entirely. She wouldn't kill at random like what's being portrayed on those reports."

Lightning snarled, zipping around her sister to leave the locker room. As she reached for the handle a small flare burst in front of her, forcing her back. She turned to find the younger pinkette lowering her hands, having just finished conjuring an energy burst to stop her from leaving.

"Serah!" Vanille cried out, launching to her feet and getting in between them before the locker room was subject to an escalation of its own. She placed a hand against the smaller Farron's shoulder and shook her head. "Enough. I get it. You used to travel with these guys, but they're not worth defending. If Fang is well and truly making that choice and taking that side, then…"

" _This is Sazh, I need all students to the briefing room, immediately._ "

Their mentor's grim tone over the communicator halted their current argument, Lightning glaring at her sister all the while. They trudged from the locker rooms and headed quickly down the halls, not wanting to keep anyone waiting. The three women entered the room to find Sazh pacing about, the other students taking their seats.

"Thank you. We have an update in relation to the current… L'cie focus… That is occurring due to the increased acts of violence and terrorism by the rogue group known as Valhalla. Raines is conferenced in." Sazh clipped, his voice professional but lined with frustration. The image of Director Raines appeared on the screen before them, the man looking weary and concerned.

" _I apologise for not being there in person but you can understand unauthorised or unscheduled visits are prohibited for security purposes in the wake of Yaag Rosch's death._ " Cid explained, his eyes casting a gaze around the room and landing on Lightning with a resigned expression. " _We have been ordered to apprehend the terrorists, by any means necessary. If they won't come quietly, lethal force has been authorised."_

Lightning sat up a little straighter in her seat. She was still hurt by Fang's choice, but this was still a shock. "Why are you telling us this?" She asked, trying to keep her cool so she wouldn't fry the equipment in the room. Cid stared her down and pursed his lips.

" _Because I know that some of you are currently or have been associates of some of these individuals. And I'm asking you to stay out of it. For your sakes. Operations have been preparing a strike against Valhalla and-_ "

There was a snarl that curled Lightning's lip and she leant forward to protest, when the screen suddenly went black. Sazh sighed and moved over to the keyboard, muttering to himself as he punched figures in. Instead of the director's face reappearing on the screen, the cruel image of Caius appeared, a malicious grin splitting his face. Sazh stepped back with a start, and the others stood from their seats. Lightning swallowed hard as she saw Fang standing behind him, eyes front and stony expression unwavering.

" _Pitiful how you align yourself with these weak humans._ " Caius sneered, showing his sharp canines on purpose. Sazh folded his arms and glared.

"And pathetic to see you still singing the same tired tune after all these years. Still desperate to march to the beat of a war drum? All these lives you've taken… What has it really gained you in the end? You're risking the lives of everyone under your roof for god's sake, Caius." Sazh snapped, while the shifter on the screen simply smiled and gestured to those behind him.

" _Do any of these gods amongst cattle look like they are here against their will?_ "

"What do you want, Caius."

" _To give you fair warning to stay put. Hide in your indulgent and blind luxury. Step out with the humans, and your blood will be spilt as much as theirs."_

Lightning shot forward with a growl, ignoring the venom spat between two old allies. Her eyes focused only on Fang. "Why are you doing this, Fang? I thought you were better than this!" Lightning pleaded, watching as the shifter's gaze slowly track to her own. Seeing the disgusted look on Fang's face made her heart fill with hurt.

Did she cause this? Did her words cause Fang to think she didn't trust her? Lightning fretted, worried that her friend's violent shift in behaviour was her fault, that maybe the shifter thought she had turned her back, so returned to the only thing she knew. The doubt gnawed at her thoughts as her old friend snarled at her and shifted, her dangerous feral form filling the screen.

" _Better than what? Being a god? These humans are beneath us and if you work with them you are no better than they._ " She snapped, spittle flying from her lips in her anger. Vanille stepped forward with tears in her eyes, running a hand along her sister's face on the screen.

"Please, Fang. Come home."

" _So your Sanctum friends can line me up against a wall and put a bullet in my skull? I think not, kiddo. Now stay out of our way, Haven scum. This is your only warning."_

Serah frowned at the screen, watching Fang's face closely. She was no stranger to Fang's more violent, angry demeanour from her own time in Valhalla. But there was something about this that seemed off. She couldn't place it. The screen went blank and left the room in silence.

Sazh silently redialled the connection to Raines, the director's face filled with concern as it reappeared on the screen. "Raines… Valhalla knows you're coming for them. Please be careful."

" _And you too, Sazh._ " Raines replied solemnly, terminating the video call. The room was left in silence before Lightning slammed her hands down on the table, startling everyone in the room.

"You can't be fucking serious."

"Lightning…" Sazh warned, standing taller and flaring his wings in the small room. "You heard what Raines said."

Whirling around with her fists balled, Lightning snarled and got in his face, Snow stepping in to hold her back. "And you heard what Caius said. I'm not willing to sit back and let those maniacs hurt anyone else. They're going to start a war with the humans and it will kill us all!"

Sazh looked away, unable to form a response. "I can't ask you to fight, nor do I want you to. It's not  _yours_  to fight. Dammit, you're still only kids." He sighed, staring out at the window.

"I refuse to sit on the sidelines. They're making this my fight. I'll do what needs to be done. Even if it means that I have to go through old friends to do it." The elemental suddenly stormed out, tears lining her eyes.

* * *

 

There was a heavy tension over the Haven over the following days. Everybody was quiet and withdrawn while they waited for the news reports to come in. Lightning especially so. The pinkette spent more time alone than ever before, hiding away from everyone and once again keeping her distance from her sister.

Sitting on the cliff by the waterfall, Lightning watched the sun setting across the forest that bordered their home and sighed. She replayed the conversation over and over in her mind, agonising on every word both said and unsaid. Cycling constantly between anger and despair, Lightning would either blame herself for being quick to judge or blame Fang for acting so defensively. She thought back to that night, at the compound, remembering how lost and confused Fang looked as they raced to the pier. Like she didn't even remember how she had gotten there.

Lightning huffed with a shake of her head. There  _was_  every chance that Fang very well could have killed him, even if not remembering it. Where would that leave them if she did it without realising? Hell, where would it leave them if she  _did_  know?

There was a flap of wings behind her as Sazh landed, slowly walking over to sit next to her on the cliffs. "I was wondering how long it would take for you to find me." She sighed, still staring out over the forests. Sazh gave a shrug and rest his elbows on his knees.

"I always knew you were here, Lightning. I was just giving you the space you needed." He answered with a sad look back at the mansion in the distance. "You know, when Caius and I started this place, we were both scared idealists, hoping to just provide a safe haven to other L'cie like us. But Caius became bitter while I became fearful. I wanted to hide away from the world, while he wanted to fight against it. Neither of our philosophies worked at the end of the day, and look where it's got us."

Lightning's jaw tightened, a bitter sweet acknowledgement of her theory she's held for years. "Sazh, do you... Think that Fang killed Rosch?" She asked, dreading the answer.

"I think that it's hard for a killer to stop being a killer, Claire." Sazh sighed, wringing his hands together anxiously. "Who knows the true details behind it? She could have murdered in cold blood, she could have killed him by accident or self-defence. We will likely never know, as there was no footage from the compound escape when we took out the network. And it isn't like Fang is going to be open to telling us her side of events."

Lightning looked away, trying to blink the tears from her eyes. "We've failed her."

"We did. And now we have to deal with the consequences of that." He said firmly, standing up from the edge. "I've been working with Yuj in relation to making something for you all, for better protection in the field."

"Sazh?" Lightning stood, looking at him with uncertainty. The eternal pacifist actually wanting to fight? It was both concerning and hopeful at the same time.

"I don't want us to go in this direction. But some of what Caius had said is true. We have to be the ones to step up and defend those who can't. To turn a blind eye makes us no better than those who seek to harm our fellow L'Cie."

The Haven mentor stretched his wings and gave her an encouraging pat on the shoulder. "I'm definitely getting too old for this." He complained, turning back towards the mansion. "I'll see you back there, Light." Sazh took flight and moved quickly through the air to get back to the mansion, giving a groan as Lightning had already beaten him there, holding the door open for him as he landed.

"Age before beauty, huh?" He sighed, rolling his eyes at the slightest smirk from the pinkette. They headed inside and down to the workshop where Yuj was busy working. Sazh cleared his throat to get the elemental's attention.

"OH, excellent I was hoping you would swing by. Here go put this on." Yuj replied, throwing clothing at Lightning. "Kevlar, reinforced knee and elbow patches, sleeves are lined with copper to be more conductive with your abilities. I... was working on it with Fang before she... Yeah."

Lightning clutched it close to her chest and sighed, her heart aching at having something ask recently held by the Pulsian. "Yeah, I'll see how it fits."

"Fang told me she was a pretty good judge of measurements, see if she's right I guess." Yuj said with a small smile, Lightning scoffing and zapping from the workshop. When she was alone, she took a moment to pull it to her face and inhaled, the new material and leather strong in their notes while she tried to find any trace of Fang's scent. She knew that the Pulsian had been working on a "gift" for her, but didn't realise it was something like this.

Lightning took a shuddering breath and quickly changed out of her clothes, slipping on the light fabric and testing out the movement. Her movement was still fluid without it feeling like she was covered in a mattress, prodding along the flexible plating around her abdomen.

She sparked electricity along her arm and felt her senses light up, the conductive metal allowing her an ease to her element she had yet to experience. Taking a breath, she sat down on the bed and buried her head in her hands, trying to maintain composure. "You really thought of everything, didn't you, Yun?" Lightning whispered, her voice strained and raw. She didn't know when she had started crying.

A news report on her television drew her attention, wiping her eyes and focusing on the ticket that scrawled along the screen.

" _Breaking news coming in, there has been an explosion at the Sanctum headquarters, we have no reports of casualties at this time but we have received word of gunfire on the premises. The Guardian Corps have advised to avoid the area and if you are caught in the central business district to remain indoors until instructed to evacuate by crisis response._ "

Lightning switched the television off, having seen enough. She didn't need to watch the rest to know who was responsible. Reaching over to the dresser and pulling the Polaroid over, she ran her thumb along the edge of the photo. Lightning had to let her go. If she faltered, if she let her feelings get in the way, she was going to die. There was shuffle of feet at the door, and Lightning immediately got to her feet. She knew that when she looked up her sister would be there. Serah approached and looked at the photo she held in her trembling hands.

"Claire…"

"Don't."

Lightning moved to get past and found herself shoved back by her angry sibling. "For gods' sake Claire, she's your best friend!" Serah snapped, prodding her sister in the sternum angrily, the elder Farron smacking her hand away.

" _Was._ Whoever that is, isn't Yun. It's not Fang."

"Serah… Please. Don't make this any harder for any of us than it already is." Vanille's voice called sadly from the doorway.

Serah sighed in frustration, her hands heating up from growing anger. "But... She's your sister, Vanille. And..." She stared at the redhead, pieces suddenly clicking. She gripped one of Vanille's many arms as the redhead approached. "Wait. When she spoke to you before.." She thought back to the words the Pulsian had said and paled. "She called you kiddo."

"I'd rather not be reminded of it, thanks." Vanille replied coldly, shrugging Serah's hand from her. The young pinkette shook her head and turned to Lightning, pleading.

"No you don't understand. Neither of you do. Any time she spoke of you, Vanille, it was always 'Nille, or her 'little songbird'. Never kiddo. Claire's right. It's not Fang. Please Claire you have to liste-" Serah was interrupted by her sister pushing past her.

Lightning ached. The pain in her chest from Fang's betrayal hurting more than the sharp prodding from her sister. But she had to move past it. She was going to do the right thing, regardless of the risk. Regardless of if it meant she had to end Fang to do it. "Drop it, Serah. We've got bigger problems now." She vanished from the room in a flurry of electricity, leaving Vanille and Serah alone in her room.

"Vanille... We have to help her. I don't think your sister is all there."

The redhead turned away, shaking her head. "You're only going to end up looking like me or worse, if you try to get in her way. Fang has... Made her choice." Vanille left Serah alone in her resolve, the pinkette balling her fists. She glanced at Lightning's dresser where the crumpled Polaroid lay and snatched it up.

"I'm not giving up on you, Fang."


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh a semi-regular update appears what is this, it's like I'm actually getting some productive work done or something.

Chaos lined the streets as Lightning raced towards the Sanctum headquarters that was currently enveloped in flames. The city was choking on smoke and ash, debris littering the path. Sirens wailed around her, GC and Sanctum personnel alike staggering through the burning arches of the building. The elemental balled her fists as she surveyed the screaming civilians attempting to escape the area.

"This time I'm not running away."

"Lightning!"

The pinkette turned to find a familiar jeep racing towards her, Vanille raising several arms out the window to wave her down. "What are you doing here, Van? This is too dangerous!" Lightning snapped as the vehicle screeched to a halt and a handful of her fellow Haven L'cie jumped out of the car.

"We aren't going to let you go it alone, Light." Snow said quietly but resolutely, clutching his fist against his chest in a show of solidarity. Lightning sighed but gave him a nod of acknowledgement, inwardly relieved that she at least wasn't going into the madness alone.

"Where's Serah?"

Vanille clenched her jaw and looked away. "Said there was somewhere important she needed to be to… and I quote…  _stop everyone from being a bunch of idiots."_

"Right." Lightning clipped, feeling a little betrayed by her sister's absence. Still, better for her to be far from here and not in the thick of things just in case Caius still had something planned. "So what are your thoughts, guys?"

"Bust in through the front door and make a mess of whoever is trying to harm the innocents?" Snow suggested, waiting for the inevitable punch. Instead, he was met with a determined smile and a thumbs up from the elemental.

"Sounds like a plan to me. Stay sharp, everyone. Watch your back."

The group raced into the compound through a hole blasted in the wall, meeting a scene of fire and death. In the centre of it all was Fang, who was tearing the armour of a Sanctum guard to shreds with her savage claws. A snarl of rage tore from her lips so loud it brought the group to a halt. Lightning's breath caught in her throat from the sight of so much violence, she could scarcely believe it had all come from her friend who once spent three hours chasing a spider around the house to capture it and release it on a tree outside.

"Fang…" She whispered, her hand ducking to her mouth in horror. The shifter turned with a growl, her lips curling in hatred.

"I thought I warned you lot to stay the fuck out of this." Fang bellowed, turning fully to face them. Snow shed his jacket and turned to ice; long, sharp spikes jutting from his hands. Yuj and Vanille hung back, the redhead pulling out a small tablet and trying to connect to the internal systems to assess the damage and get in contact with Raines.

Lightning stepped forward, letting electricity crackle from her fists as she stared the shifter down. "Please Fang. Don't do this."

Fang's eyes turned white as she gave a low guttural growl. "It's them or us, viper. And if you won't stand with us, to protect your brothers and sisters, you're no better than them."

Snow suddenly slid forward on a sheet of ice, barrelling towards Fang with the intent to knock her out. He threw out a wall of his element in the hopes it would take her off her feet, but with a roar she burst through the ice with a smash of her claws, digging them into his chest with the momentum. She gripped down hard and threw him clear, Snow crashing against a wall and out cold.

"Snow!" Lightning cried out, watching as Vanille scrambled over to him along with Yuj, the blue-haired L'cie using his element to patch up the holes until they froze in Snow's chest. The pinkette turned back towards Fang and bared her teeth in anger. "If this is how it's gonna be, then come on!"

Fang darted forward with murderous intent, Lightning sending out arcs of electricity in her direction. With quick feet and reflexes Fang managed to avoid them, closing the gap with a swipe at the pinkette's chest. Lightning wasn't prepared for how fast the shifter moved, leaping back and narrowly avoiding the brunt of the attack. She hissed as the tips of the claws slit across her skin, leaving shallow cuts.

"Dammit, Fang… How can you do this?" Lightning yelled in anger and grief, zapping forward to feign to the right as she always did. She twisted at the last second and lands a few hard strikes to the shifter's ribs, feeling a couple of them crack. She couldn't hold back, she couldn't afford to falter with her former friend. Fang grunted from the impact and leapt back, clutching at her side with an enraged expression. 

"How can  _you_  do this, L'cie? You and the goddamn Haven only seeking to side with those that want us in chains, or dissected on a table. I can't believe you would stoop to act as their servants when you should be a  _god_."

"Shut. Up!" Lightning snapped, throwing a few more arcs of her element at the Fang. One finally struck, sending her flying across the courtyard and slamming into the dirt. The Pulsian staggered to her feet and let the shift overcome her, the skin turning blue and her hair growing out into the fiery mane.

"Fuck you and your blindness, viper. L'cie were meant to rule, not serve." Fang snarled, her voice low and gravelly with her shifted vocal cords. Lightning shot forward to throw an arc of electricity at her like a whip but the shifter ducked underneath it and twisted around, grabbing her arm and grappling her.

"You sound… Just like Caius…" Lighting grunted, trying to swing with her other arm to break free of Fang's grip. She let out a cry of pain as the shifter twisted her arm and kneed her in the gut. Feeling the crunch of her own ribs as Fang returned her earlier favour, Lightning groaned and clenched her eyes shut, feeling the electricity build in her veins. Releasing a massive discharge, the outburst of her element threw Fang backwards, smashing through the window of the building behind her.

There was something unsettling about Fang's words. She was right. Fang  _did_ sound just like Caius. The rhetoric wasn't anything like what her friend had said on their many afternoons alone together, trying to solve the problems of the world. But she couldn't focus on that now. Anything that took Lightning's concentration could kill her. She raced over to Vanille and Yuj, eyeing off the injuries Snow had sustained. "You need to get him out of here. Fang isn't…. She isn't holding back."

Vanille looked at her in outrage, grabbing her arm to stop her from leaving. "We're not leaving you, Light. Just let us stabilize Snow and we'll-"

"No. It's not safe. I already lost Fang. I don't want to lose you as well."

A roar drew their attention as the shifter stood in the opening she had been thrown through, glass shards leaving her skin a mottling of lacerations and blood. Lightning threw a bolt of her namesake at Fang, drawing her away from the others as she sprinted past. "Come on you useless chocobo, come and get me!"

Fang faltered at the insult, finding it strange and yet familiar, the word itching at her mind. It distracted her long enough for Lightning to shunt forward and kick her in the face, snapping her head back. She gripped the sides of the window frames, glass cutting into her palms as she snarled, launching forward to tackle the elemental.

Attempting to dodge out of the way, Lightning found herself staring at a flash of green in the irises and tripped, temporarily caught in the snare of her own memories. She was thrown to the ground and pinned with the shifter on top of her, bearing her sharp canines just before her face.

"Please, don't do this Yu-" Lightning's words were choked with a clawed hand around her throat, pressing down on her windpipe. She tried to let off another discharge of electricity but the pain and her fading vision cut off her concentration.

"I warned you to stay away, L'cie." Fang growled, her attention stolen from the tears in the elemental's eyes. The shifter's vision hazed red, and she roared in her face, moving her claws down to her abdomen and prepared to eviscerate the pinkette. Lightning was pinned under her best friend who was now anything but, a clawed hand digging into her throat.

As her vision began to darken, she tried a last ditch effort to break free with a weak electrical burst from her chest. Unfortunately, all it achieved was an angry roar as Fang dug in and raked sharp claws across her stomach. The scream of pain caught in her throat and she saw double as the vivid white irises of the shifter faded back into a familiar sea of green, looking momentarily distracted and lost.

A sudden blast of energy caught the shifter off guard and she was shot across the compound like a bullet, crashing into the cement wall on the other side. The smoke from the blast cleared and Serah was standing over her sister, protective and defiant.

"Nobody. Touches. My sister."

Serah threw a cavalcade of energy blasts straight at the shifter, funnelling her into a specific path that then threw her into the air with a well-timed burst. Lightning watched the blurry figure above her and reached a shaking hand out to her. "S-…Serah…" She rasped, weakly clutching at her leg. The younger Farron knelt down and held her sister, brushing the matted hair from her face.

"It's alright, I'm here. I'm sorry I'm late."

"Y…You came for… Me…"

Giving her sister a soft smile, Serah stroked her cheek with her thumb and held her close. "I came for both of you."

"Step back, little one. This isn't your fight." Fang warned, her monstrous form limping over while holding her side. Serah glared at her and reached into her jacket pocket.

"Caius made this my fight when he took you from us." She bit back firmly, glancing down at her sister who was fading in and out of consciousness. "Come on, Claire. Stay with us, please."

Fang's head tilted in confusion, staring at the glazed cerulean eyes looking sadly up at her. "Claire…? Her name is Claire?" She asked, her voice a little quieter as she shifted slowly back to a human form. Lightning's eyes widened at the question, the sudden spike in adrenaline bringing her into more awareness. Her instincts were right. Serah was right. It  _wasn't_  Fang. Not completely. She shouldn't have doubted for a second.

The younger Farron reached out to the shifter, holding a very familiar polaroid in her hand. Fang took it with a trembling hand and stared at the image. Lightning coughed to clear her throat, Serah helping prop her up a little as the others slowly approached with extreme caution. "I... Promised you, even if you… Turned into a fluffy chocobo, I… I would always be there… To protect you. I'm sorry I… Doubted. I'm sorry I… Failed you, Yun."

Fang suddenly clutched at her head, falling to her knees as a searing pain burnt through her head at the mentioning of her name. Thoughts assaulted her mind, erased memories suddenly exploding to the surface of her consciousness, and she screamed in agony. Lebreau's control slid away, releasing her venomous grip on her psyche. She fell forward on her hands, panting heavily as the full weight of everything that had happened since she stormed from the Haven settled in. But worst of all…

"Oh gods.  _Light_!" Fang cried out, crawling over with the polaroid still in her hand. The blood and claw marks marring the pale skin were reminiscent of the first time she'd lost control, and she began to cry as she picked up Lightning and cradled her in her arms, rocking her gently as she sobbed apologies over and over again.

Serah stood back and gave them some space, Vanille moving to her side and taking her hand. "How… How did you know?" The redhead asked, watching as Lightning lifted a weak arm and clutched at Fang's shirt. The shifter leant back as the elemental lost consciousness, looking lost and scared. Serah gave a shrug and knelt down, giving Fang a gentle pat on the shoulder as she pulled out a medkit and started to patch her sister up.

"I paid our friends a visit, and Lebreau fessed up." Serah explained with a shrug, focusing solely on applying the various medical gels to stop the bleeding and wrap the wounds.

"You went to Valhalla alone? What the hell, Serah?" Vanille exclaimed, horrified at the level of danger Serah had willingly put herself in.

"No. It's a long story but I'll explain later. I knew before that anyway, Lebreau confessing was just confirming my suspicions. She never called you kiddo. That was something Lebreau used to call everyone back at Valhalla. But not Fang. You were always her little songbird. But for now we need to leave.  _All_ of us."

Vanille looked away, tears stinging her eyes as she reached for her communicator. "Diabolo? We need an extraction, immediately. Medical required….. Yeah. Everyone. Including Fang." She sighed, watching her sister racked with sobs as she held Lightning's unconscious body. "She won't be a threat to anyone anymore."

The group vanished in a puff of black mist, leaving the compound still burning in their wake.

* * *

 

A pounding head greeted Lightning as she regained consciousness in the med bay at the Haven. The sunlight creeping through the window was offensive and bright, and she groaned as she rubbed her face. Hissing at the pain, Lightning could only imagine how battered she would have looked from how tender she felt.

"Claire!"

Blinding pain shot through her ribs as she was enveloped in a crushing hug, groaning at her sister's concern. "Ow, Serah. Seriously." Lightning complained, though inwardly grateful for the attention. At least it let her know she was alive.

"S-sorry... we weren't really sure when you were going to... Wake up."

Lightning sat up slowly as her sister backed off with a sniff. She pulled the sheets back and checked the bandages around her arms and legs, her bruised knuckles and tentatively felt her throat. She winced at the tender skin and sighed. "So Fang really did a number on me, huh?"

Serah's eyes shot towards her own before darting away. "Yeah. She did. I got to you before she..." The younger elemental cut herself off, not wanting to think about what could have happened if she was even a few seconds late. "But, Claire... Light... It wasn't Fang."

"I know. I heard. I… Feel like an idiot."

A look of surprise shot across Serah's face at the response. "Claire, you were only looking out for all of us. Considering the sheer amount of violence and destruction we were seeing on the news, you can't beat yourself up over this."

"Well, yeah. Fang's beaten me up enough as it is."

"Claire, that's not funny."

Lightning gave a slow shrug and swung her legs over the bed, making a move to stand up. "Oh no you don't. You're meant to be resting. Back into bed." Serah chided, holding her sister gently by the shoulders. "Let me look after you, for once."

Lightning gave a small sigh and reluctantly moved back into bed. "At least tell me what happened with Fang, and where she is." She asked, giving a gentle but pointed squeeze of Serah's hand.

"... She's in the holding cells beneath the mansion."

" _What._ " Lightning snapped, sitting back upright, her glare palpable. Serah held her by the shoulders to keep her in bed, not wanting her sister to overexert herself… Or start throwing electricity around in anger.

"She put herself there, before you freak out. Fang doesn't exactly trust herself at the moment, after what Lebreau did to her." Serah quickly explained at the rapidly growing dark expression on her sister's face. "It was what I was trying to tell you before the bombs went off at the Sanctum headquarters. Caius has a basilisk with him by the l'Cie name of Siren. She did this to Fang. Lebreau told me."

In an instant the anger was fixated on her, electricity sparking across Lightning's skin. " _That's_  where you went that was so important? Straight to the lion's den? Are you mad?"

"Not entirely," Serah sighed, wondering if she had taken leave of her senses to even think her sister would react… Well. "I know a way to contact Noel, and got him to bring her to me. I wasn't going to let Fang fall because of what Caius put in her head, brainwashing anyone that didn't fit his mould. Fang warned me, back when I was still with them... To just play pretend. It looked like if I showed any sign of dissent they were going to use her to force me to do their bidding, regardless of my feelings on the matter."

Lightning's face softened, cupping her sister's face and bringing it forward to kiss her on the top of the head. This was the first she had truly heard of just how close she came to losing Serah to the same fate her friend had. For everything that she had worried about over the years while absent from her sister's life, Lightning realised she didn't have to hover, or go out of her way to protect. Serah was more than capable of looking after herself, and showed a strength and resilience that she was proud of. "Fang did a good job of looking out for you. And now she needs us to look out for her. So it was this Lebreau woman that had made Fang like... That?"

Serah nodded, letting go of her sister due to the energy sparking off her hands in anger at what had happened to her friend. Lightning had enough injuries, she didn't need to add to them. "From what I could get out of her, she doesn't remember anything after storming off after the argument with Raines. She flinched as her sister narrowed her eyes and leant forward.

"What do you  _mean_  from what you could get out of her?"

"I... She's near catatonic, Light. She killed a lot of people."

Lightning's heart ached for Fang, despite the injuries she had sustained from the shifter. She cursed herself for engaging the way she did. Knowing that she should have trusted her gut instincts, listened to her sister. She leant forward and took Serah's hand, giving it a squeeze. "We shouldn't leave her alone down there. She needs us."

Serah worried her lip with her teeth before glancing nervously to the door. "It was always you that conned me into trouble, you know." She drawled, helping her sister out of bed. "Sanctum are here, on guard, by orders of Cid."

Lightning smiled and gestured to a wall, allowing herself to lean on Serah as she limped over. She pressed a small imperceptible panel behind a large wall-hanging plant and watched the wall slide into the floor. "Good thing Sazh is a paranoid old man who likes to build escape tunnels throughout the house. Come on."

They crept slowly through the tunnel, Lightning limping carefully while Serah used a dull emission of energy from her hand to light the path. "This is amazing. But also… concerning. Why did Sazh build this network?"

"Escape if the place was... ow.. Ever compromised." Lightning explained, wincing at a throbbing sting in her ribs. She figured Fang's shots would have her bed ridden for a while, but this was more important than the pain. She clutched at her side and took as deep a breath as she could before continuing. "The tunnels lead to the forest beyond, with enough distance between the exit and the mansion to make an escape without detection. Here. Stop." Lightning paused, running her fingers along the wall until she found the release she was looking for. The panel fell away to reveal a darkened hallway lined with glass cells. Serah looked around while trying to keep an even expression.

"Gods, Claire. What exactly was Sazh preparing for?" She whispered, pausing as Lightning held up a hand to silence her. They could hear mutterings coming from one of the cells, and crept slowly towards it.

"War, whether he wanted to admit it or not." Lightning hissed, moving up against the empty cell next to where they figured Fang was being kept. The manic mumblings grew louder, and now within earshot, she could make out the words.

"Caius was right. After all I tried, I'm really just an animal. Why should I bother being anything different? He was right. I'm just a horrible, mindless beast. I need... I need Sanctum to put me down. I can't... I can't be what they want me to be... What Light wanted me to be... god... Light.. I... How could I have..." Fang trailed off with a sob and buried her head in her clawed hands, still bloodied and dirtied from the fight. Lightning turned to Serah with a firm but questioning look, touching her on the shoulder.

"She does know I'm not dead, right?"

"I told her you were alive but... I don't know if she heard. Or believed me for that matter." Serah answered, looking away and wiping a tear from her cheek. Lightning frowned and turned back to the cell, stepping into view while Fang continued to ramble to herself.

Vanille snuck up alongside them and tried not to startle Serah as she touched her on the arm. "Sorry... I didn't see you in the medbay and I figured you guys were going to try to come down here. Light, it's good to see you up and about."

Lightning could only hum in response, her focus entirely on the Pulsian behind the glass. She wondered how dangerous it would be to go into the cell when Fang was like this.

"Why can't I get rid of these claws... I need to... I need to get rid of these claws... they're weapons. I don't want to kill anymore. I don't want to hurt anyone. Why can't I stop hurting people? I took Van's sight, I gutted Lightning... I'm just a stupid, mindless killer. Just like Caius said."

Fang's grieving words were tearing Lightning up inside. She stepped to the glass and pressed the palm of her hand against it, keeping her sister and friend in her peripherals. "Fang, you're not a killer.

"Of course you'd say that. You were always the voice of reason, Light. I'm... Sorry I never got a chance to tell you..." Fang sobbed, hearing the words but not registering their source.

"Tell me what? I'm right here." Lightning pressed, tapping on the glass to get Fang's attention, feeling like an observer at an aquarium. Fang still hid her face in her hands, and Lightning noted how filthy and ragged she looked. She turned back to the others, and got their attention. "Serah, there's a first aid kit at the end of the hall next to the bathroom, please bring it along with a wash cloth from storage. Vanille, can you sneak back to my room and grab my hoodie?"

The two nodded and moved off, Lightning satisfied they were now out of reach to try and stop her from doing anything stupid.

"No you're not. I... I killed you. Back at the sanctum base." Fang whimpered, leaning back to stare at her shaking claws. Lightning moved over to the control panel and sparked her fingertips, shorting it out and letting the lock disable.

"No, you didn't, Fang. I'm right here, sweetie." She said quietly, standing in the doorway. The Pulsian looked up and her eyes slowly focused through the tears, paling at the sight of the bruised and battered elemental.

"What... Light... You're... You're alive? But I... How?"

Lightning gave a soft smile and a shrug, running her fingers through her own hair to get it out of her face. It revealed the heavy bruising and scrapes along the side of her face, which had Fang scrambling back against the wall. "Serah kicked your ass, actually." Lightning offered, careful not to make sudden movements. "Fang, it wasn't you. Serah told me what happened. About what Caius and Lebreau did to you."

Fang looked stricken with grief, her cheeks gaunt and eyes sunken. Lightning frowned at the sight of her. When was the last time she had eaten? The shifter curled in on herself, pressing herself into the corner as if that would hide her from whatever judgement awaited her for her actions. "Th-that doesn't change anything though. I still killed all those people. Raines was right. I killed Rosch too."

Stepping slowly into the cell and kneeling down before her, Lightning gently reached for Fang while trying to still her shaking hand. In the end, what had happened didn't change her feelings towards the shifter, but the wounds were still all too fresh. She was still nervous, but she didn't want to leave. "It wasn't you, it was Caius using you for his own mad ends."

"How do you know that, Light? Look at you... Look at what I... What I did to you..." Fang stammered, staring at the horrific marks around Lightning's throat.

"Focus on me, Fang. Not the bruises around my neck." Lightning chided, her hand moving up to wipe the tears away with her thumb. "And I know, because I meant what I said when we were kids. Even if you turned into a chocobo. Even if you fell to your instincts, Yun. You will always find a way back to me, understand?"

"I can't trust myself, Light. How am I supposed to feel normal again when I can't even trust myself?" Fang replied with a strained voice, her throat raw from crying alone in the cell. Nobody came to see her, not even to interrogate her for three days following the attack, and it allowed her to fall quickly into despair. She figured the likes of her sister wouldn't want to after what she had done, and yet... Lightning was still alive, and here, and next to her.

"Trust me, then Fang. I'll protect you. I'll keep you here. I'll keep you safe."

Lightning heard the small gasp from behind her as Serah and Vanille entered the cell, Fang turning away and retreating further into herself. The redhead rolled her eyes and shook her head at Lightning, though feeling her heart swell at her friend's persistent defiance. "Couldn't stay put, could you?" Vanille's chastised, smiling as Lightning leant back against the wall next to Fang and pulled the shifter close.

Lightning gave a shrug and allowed Fang to carefully rest her head against her shoulder and ran her fingers through the dark and dusty hair. "Nope. Fang needed me. Sanctum wasn't going to keep me, keep any of us, from her."

Fang took a ragged breath and nuzzled into Lightning's neck with a soft whine. "Why are... Why are you being so nice to me, after everything I did?"

Serah knelt beside her and began to slowly run the wash cloth over her face, cleaning off the dirt and blood. "Because we care about you, Fang. And Lebreau is an ass for what she did." She growled, focusing on cleaning the grime from her friend. "You're safe with us, Fang. I promise."

Vanille sat on the other side of her sister, remaining close while draping Lightning's hoodie around her. "Sanctum isn't taking you, and neither is Caius. You're family, Fang. We don't leave our family alone."

Lightning smiled and kissed the top of Fang's head gently, holding her protectively around the waist. She slipped her fingers beneath the torn hem of her shirt and stroked Fang's skin with her thumb. The gesture seemed to slowly calm the shifter, her tense limbs relaxing a little at the touch.

They stayed that way until Serah had finished carefully cleaning the filth from Fang's skin, and Vanille had fallen asleep against her shoulder. It was a strange, bittersweet comfort that she would have her family still together, and still with her, after they experienced such pain at her expense. Fang sat in silence for a while, and the others were just content to sit with her and say nothing.

"I'm... Sorry. For everything." Fang whispered quietly, careful not to wake the younger l'Cie now asleep next to her, Serah curled up with her head in Vanille's lap. Lightning looked down and gave her a sad smile.

"It should be me apologising to you, Fang. I'm sorry I left you to go it alone. But I'm not letting you out of my sight again. Caius will answer to me."

Everything was still overwhelming, and hurt, but Fang felt warmed by Lightning's overprotective words. She snuggled further into the pinkette's side, pausing as she felt the full body flinch. "Sorry, Fang. Probably need to wait a while before I'm up for any sparring again." Lightning drawled, realising instantly that her choice of words may not have been well thought out, given the soft whimper and mild withdrawal of Fang's body. "Oh no you don't. Back over here." She sighed, pulling the shifter close and tried to ignore her protesting ribs.

"I'm so scared, Light." Fang whispered, her voice barely audible from how raw her throat was. Lightning's jaw tightened at the pain coming from the shifter's voice, a far greater hurt than her own sustained injuries. "I'm scared that I'll fall again, that I'll lose control. Maybe I need to disappear. Maybe I-"

Fang's words were cut off by a soft kiss against her lips, Lightning gently cupping her face. She melted against the touch, her claws finally fading to more human looking fingers as she clutched at the pinkette's shirt. "No." Lightning said firmly, forcing her gaze once she'd broken away. "I just got you back, Yun. I'm not letting you go again. I love you too much to lose you."

"Light..." Fang breathed, staring at her wide-eyed and in awe. That she had nearly taken the elemental to the edges of death and to still be loved by her was... a greater power than all of Valhalla's abilities combined. Lightning's love was her greatest ability, and the one that would pull Fang from the edge of madness.

"Rest for now, Fang. We're not going anywhere." Lightning gently urged, toying with the brunette's hair until she settled back against her shoulder. She ignored the sly and knowing looks she was getting from Vanille and Serah, leaning her head on the top of Fang's to drift off to sleep, comforted by her family, complete once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra AN- I have to give a special shout out to my gorgeous and talented friend and beta-reader, who helps me with these fics and keeps me going when I feel like I'm losing my mind. The fight scene was one I was struggling with a lot, and she sat down and shopped it with me by turning it into a D&D session which was fun as flip. So as always, frand, thank you- I wouldn't have half the writing done (or have so many other fucking concept AU's to play with in the list after this is done....) if it weren't for you and your excellence! Xx


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are gearing up for the end of another fic, squirrel friends. Thanks for sticking with me this far.

Waking warm and cosy, though with a very stiff neck, Lightning slowly opened her eyes to find her buried into Fang's shoulder, still on the floor in the cell. She nuzzled the Pulsian, happy that she had her back. The happiness was short lived, however, as the sound of several guns cocking had her sitting bolt upright to find a handful of Sanctum guards levelling guns at them.

Fang's eyes snapped open and she immediately put an arm around Lightning, wanting to shield her from whatever the intrusion to her sleep was. "Don't hurt them. I know it's me you want." She said quietly, nudging Serah and Vanille with her foot to wake them up. Raines stepped into the cell behind the armed guards with Sazh in tow, his expression grave.

"Oerba Yun. Codename Fang. Do I even need to read the charges?" He snapped, glaring at the others in the cell. Pointing at Lightning with a scowl, he was not subtle about his disgust. "And you would still choose to associate with this murderer after the lives she's taken?"

Lightning snarled at him and pressed into Fang, keeping an arm around her waist. "She's family, Raines. And it wasn't her. She's not responsible."

"Oh? So it must have been some other shifter L'cie that looks exactly like her, that slaughtered dozens of my people at the headquarters." Raines growled, stepping forward as his subordinates raised their weapons. "I thought you taught them better than this, Katzroy."

Lightning shot to her feet, standing between Fang and the trained guns, keeping the others behind her. "We're  _your_ people too, last I checked. And Sazh taught us to look after our own, and protect the greater good. I won't let you harm Fang, not when she wasn't the one behind this."

Cid got in Lightning's face, absolutely seething. "Do you expect me to believe this? I saw her with my own eyes, Farron. Tearing apart my soldiers. Destroying my facility. If it wasn't her, then who was it?"

"Me."

All heads turned to find the far wall of the cell shifting and twisting into shadow, Noel stepping out of the darkness with Lebreau in tow. The soldiers whirled, aiming their weapons at the newcomers as they slowly raised their hands in surrender. Lebreau slowly stepped forward and cleared her throat. "Now, there's no need to get viol-"

Lightning surged forward and punched the basilisk square in the throat, dropping her to the ground. Lebreau heaved and coughed, holding up her hand to stop Noel from intervening. "Don't… I… Deserved that." She rasped, clutching at her neck while she regained her breath. Thoroughly winded, she kept her hands palm up while Serah stepped in and gently pried her sister from the immediate space.

"What exactly do you think you're doing?" Lightning hissed, enraged that her sibling was coming to the aid of someone who had hurt Fang, infiltrated her mind and changed her. Serah shook her head and got in between the two L'cie, holding up a small ball of energy in her hands to keep them apart.

"I asked her to come here. To make things right. It's where I was before I got to the Sanctum headquarters. Caius has everyone under threat of death from a telepath he keeps hidden from them. Forces everyone to do their bidding, forces Lebreau to manipulate those in Valhalla."

The basilisk bowed her head and lowered her hands. "I have been torn up inside from the very moment Caius had me do the things I've done to my friends. I am here to make amends. In lieu of taking Caius, take me. I am the one behind the attacks. I controlled Fang. I made her kill those people."

Fang watched the confession with tears in her eyes. It wasn't a surprise to her, given the rapid and painful return of her memories back at the Sanctum facility, but hearing it in person still hurt immeasurably. "How could you, 'Breau? We were family." Lebreau gave her a sad smile and looked away.

"We still are, sweetie. It's why I'm here, to pay for what I've done. Raines, Fang wasn't at fault for any of this. My abilities allow me to control people to do my bidding. I was the one who made her attack the facility. She is an innocent party in this."

Raines narrowed his eyes, disbelieving. "How do I know we're not being manipulated right now?"

Giving a half-hearted shrug, Lebreau cast her eyes to the soldiers behind him. "If I really wanted to, I could tell your men to lower their weapons to the ground and take their pants off. And they'd do it without hesitation." The guards looked at each other nervously and subtly took a few paces back, as if that would be enough to protect them from her abilities.

"Lebreau's right. It's why she goes by Siren. Her voice it... Does something to your mind. Makes you feel whatever she wants you to feel. Think what she wants you to think. Do... What she wants you to do..." Fang croaked from the corner, the sound of her strained voice breaking Lightning's heart. The elemental stepped close, putting an arm around her to offer support. Pressing into her, Fang pressed her lips to Lightning's temple and breathed in the scent of her hair. It helped calm her slightly, knowing that her real family was with her. "But I don't understand, if helping us risks Yeul shutting down your mind, why take the risk?"

The tears that lined Lebreau's eyes spoke more volumes than any words that couldn't be trusted. "Because it's a price I'm willing to pay to see you happy, darling."

Cid sighed and slowly gestured for his men to lower their weapons. "So you'll come with us, willingly?" He asked, receiving a resolute nod in response.

"When I'm done here, put one of those godforsaken Sanctum mouth bracers to silence me, for your own peace of mind. Do with me what you will. I'm a dead woman walking now anyway."

Lightning frowned, looking at the others in the room. It wasn't enough. No matter what happened from here, while Caius was still out there, nobody was safe. She wanted her family whole, she wanted Fang whole and unbroken, not afraid of her own shadow. Glancing up at the other L'cie in tow, she nodded towards Noel with a hum of discontent. "What about you? Aren't you just as much at risk?"

Noel nodded, and held up his wrists. "I'm complicit in all this as well, Lightning. I'm here to make things right too. No matter the cost."

Sazh sighed, scratching the back of his head. "I don't know what to make of all this, Raines. It still doesn't change the fact that Caius has implanted a bunch of crazy in Fang's head. I'm sorry to say, but Yun is a ticking time bomb while Caius is on the loose still."

Lightning growled at her mentor while Fang pressed her face into the back of her neck with a soft whimper. She turned and put her arms around the shifter, stroking her hair softly. Moving her palpable glare to the basilisk, Lightning curled her lip in disgust. "You. Fix this."

The weapons raised again when Lebreau shook her head. "It's not that simple, Lightning. We're talking years of embedded psychological reprogramming. It's more than just a single whisper in her ear."

"Are you saying she can't be healed? That she's… Stuck?" Lightning asked with a snarl, her grip on the Pulsian tightening. She could feel how Fang trembled with fear and wished she knew a way to take the hurt away.

"No, that's not what I'm saying at all. With time, absolutely. But it's time that you don't have. But…" Lebreau paused, her eyes widening in realisation. "I may be able to circumvent it. If you'll allow it of course."

Raines hummed in thought, eyeing off the others in the room. "So you manipulated Oerba Yun  _Fang_  into the attack on Sanctum, for what gain?"

Lebreau gave him a sardonic glare, folding her arms defensively. "You of  _all_ people should know why people wish to start wars, Cid." She drawled, his eye twitching at the personal name. "He wants to force a conflict, to draw the line in the sand. Oppressed L'cie would flock to his cause with which to raise an army of chaos to bring about humanity's ruin. At least, that's what all the brochures say."

Fang stepped out from behind Lightning, acknowledging the guns trained on her. Knowing what had to be done, she gave an apologetic glance to the elemental and walked over to Lebreau. It was this, or they'd have to put a bullet in her. She took Lebreau by the hands and bowed her head. "If she does anything stupid, shoot us both."

"Fang!" Lightning snapped, the shifter growling for quiet in response.

"Please, Light. I can't… I can't live like this, knowing that a single word from Caius would have me slaughtering you all without a second thought."

Lebreau reached out and stroked the side of Fang's face, the action eliciting a jealous growl from the elemental. "I'm so sorry, sweetie. For everything." She sighed, her irises glowing a soft yellow beneath the copper hue. "Don't take the guilt of the deaths of so many on board. It wasn't you. Alright? You deserve happiness, and with your family here at the Haven, you'll have it. It is worth fighting for." Lebreau said quietly, watching Fang's expression slacken and her eyes flutter closed.

Lightning arced electricity across her body as a visible threat, as the soldiers tightened the grip on their guns. Lebreau took a breath and tried to block them out of her mind, focusing on the shifter before her. "Caius is still capable of controlling you."

"Lebreau…"

The Basilisk held up a hand and her eyes flared brighter as she flicked her gaze over Fang's shoulder. She cupped the brunette's face with her hands and kissed her forehead. "But no matter what Caius says, no matter what he triggers. No matter what anyone triggers. You'll obey Lightning. Claire Farron, your true love. You will listen to her, over Caius. Over all else. Obey your heart. Do you understand?"

Fang inhaled sharply at the words, her eyes opening and staring at Lebreau in shock. "I… I understand." She said quietly, feeling a weight lifted from her shoulders. Any time she tried to focus on the crushing guilt from her actions in the city, the thoughts slipped through her fingers, dissolving into dust. All she was left with was a sense of peace as she was surrounded by her family, old and new. Fang turned to look at Lightning, and smiled softly.

"Fang, are you alright?" Lightning asked hesitantly, squeaking as the shifter swept her up in her arms and held on tight. She pressed into the Pulsian's strong arms and forgot about the world for a moment, lost in the feeling of Fang. Lightning nuzzled against the shifter's neck, revelling in the warmth. "How will we know it's worked?" She asked when she remembered they were surrounded by a myriad of people attempting to avert their gaze. Lebreau shrugged with a smile and sat down on the cell bed, leaning against Noel.

"It's kind of a blanket rule at this point, until we can get something more sustainable. So ask her to do the dishes, and she'll do it without question."

"Hey!"

Raines folded his arms and watched the scene, trying to figure out exactly how he was going to spin this mess. He glanced up at Lebreau before looking back over to Lightning and Fang. "Help us find Caius and take him out once and for all, end this madness. I will find a way to clear Yun's name, and help you two Valhalla defectors as well."

Lebreau and Noel spared a nervous look with each other before nodding. "If Yeul finds us we're screwed anyway. What else have we got to lose at this point?"

Sazh cleared his throat to get their attention. "Everyone will be safer here for the time being. Shielding is built into the lower levels of the mansion to stop telepaths from sneaking a peak into my work. It's how I've managed to keep most of these more… In depth operations intact for years. If you'll allow it, Raines, stay here with your squad and we will find a way to take Caius out. For good."

"I've worked with you for years, Katzroy. Yet this is the first time I've seen the underground of your facility, let alone any evidence you were preparing for war given your pacifist nature." Cid remarked, suspicious of his intentions. Sazh sighed and his wings twitched in irritation.

"Yeul and Caius started out here, with me. It was one of Yeul's visions that caused the rift between us. She saw a war coming. I wanted to do what I could to protect our own, Caius wanted to what he could to bring about her vision. This place was meant to serve as sanctuary for the coming war, that the longer time goes on the less I feel like we can avoid it."

The Sanctum director narrowed his eyes, still glaring at the shifter who was still physically responsible for the deaths of so many of his colleagues. Everything that the Sanctum stood for meant the deaths of so many of his fellow L'cie. He was torn between his duty and desire for vengeance, with the need to forgive and do what was right for his own kind.

"Until we find the telepath, we will remain here. Katzroy, show the Valhalla members to a cell, and show my men to whatever constitutes a barracks down here. We will begin to gather intel and formulate a plan to stop Caius and his madness. Together."

The others slowly filed out of the cell until Lightning and Fang were left alone. The elemental took Fang by the hand and led her out and down the hall, into a closed room with a small bed. Fang stared at the militant surroundings with a slow sigh as Lightning closed and locked the door behind her. "Sazh really was preparing for the worst of us, wasn't he?" She asked sadly, Lightning taking her by the hands and tugging her over to the bed.

"He is paranoid but at least prepared. Come here. We can get a few hours of uninterrupted sleep before they drag us into strategy meetings."

Fang gave the pinkette a once over, biting her lip nervously. "What if what Lebreau said… What if what she did hasn't worked? I'm scared that it was all for nothing." Lightning tilted her head curiously, narrowing her eyes.

"Kiss me, Fang."

On impulse and not of her own volition, Fang surged forward and kissed Lightning deeply, the elemental smiling against her lips. Breaking away from the kiss, Fang stared wide-eyed while catching her breath.

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh." Lightning agreed, biting her lower lip with a smile. "Come to bed with me, Fang. We'll rest a while, together." She whispered against Fang's ear, kissing the lobe gently. Fang nodded slowly and sunk into the bed, her back against the wall as Lightning climbed under the sheets with her. She snuggled in against the shifter's chest, finally feeling like she was where she belonged. Home.

* * *

 

Fang reached for Lightning's hand under the table, looking for comfort and support. Despite Lebreau volunteering her own head for the chopping block, Director Raines and the rest of his surviving squad from Sanctum still looked at her like they were going to line her up against a wall and put a bullet in her.

She couldn't blame them. Regardless of what she was forced to do, there were plenty of times in the past where she had gone up against Sanctum and  _willingly_  killed them. Fang couldn't even honestly say she felt remorse for Yaag's death, considering everything the man had done to her kind.

"We have to face the facts that regardless of the outcome of incapacitating Caius once and for all, the actions at the Santcum headquarters may well have put into motion things we can't stop. Caius could still get his war, whether he's around to see it or not."

Cid's solemn voice brought Fang out of her musings, a distant pang of guilt gripping at her chest. Her grip tightened on Lightning's hand, the elemental keeping close to her for comfort. Sazh watched the display with a loud sigh, folding his wings closer to his body.

"Unfortunately, you might be right. They'll be howling for blood in the government houses. They'll want sanctions, registrations. Restrictions. The humans already treat us like loaded guns, and unfortunately for us, Caius' plans have effectively proven their point."

Fang's jaw tightened, her eyes darting to Lebreau across the table, who had wisely said nothing since entering the room. She understood with the threat of the seer looming over their heads, the basilisk was left with little choice in the matter, but it still hurt to have been so violently betrayed. "What do we need to do to fix this? What do I need to do?" Fang asked quietly, all heads turning towards her.

"Fang, this is hardly the time to be throwing yourself back into the fire." Sazh warned, the shifter shaking her head and leaning forward at the table.

"No, it's exactly the time. I still feel responsible regardless of what I was forced to do, and I will find a way to make it right." The room fell quiet, accepting Fang wanting to take responsibility yet feeling no better about it. Lightning rest her head against the Pulsian's shoulder and sighed.

"We still don't know if Lebreau's failsafe will work, Fang. It's too dangerous." The elemental answered, watching as the basilisk's honey-coloured eyes fixed on her. Lebreau gave a sneer and leant forward, moving her gaze to Fang.

"Sure we can. Sweetie, winter is setting in."

Fang suddenly tensed and a guttural growl crept from her throat. Lightning quickly moved back from her as the Sanctum squad started reaching for their weapons. As the Pulsian kicked the chair back with a snarl and slowly began to shift, Lightning stepped in front of her and held her hands up defensively. She kept enough distance between them as the shifter raised her claws up, preparing to strike.

"Fang, stand down." She said firmly, watching as Fang suddenly stilled and her arms lowered to her sides. The room was deathly silent as all eyes and weapons were trained on them both. "Fang, come back to me. Please."

Everyone held their breath as Fang's eyes fluttered and she blinked slowly, frowning as she looked nervously around the room. Shifting quickly back to her human form, she sat down quietly, and folded her hands on the table. Her eyes snapped to Lebreau and she let out a low growl.

"That was fucking stupid, 'Breau."

"True enough," The basilisk agreed, "but I had to make a point- and better to know that it works now than out on the field and finding it's failed."

Lightning stalked around the table and lifted Lebreau up from her chair by the throat, slamming her against the wall in a surprising display of strength. Electricity crackled around them as the elemental held a ferocious expression that was just as savage as the shifter's. "Do that again and I will fry your vocal cords and render you a useless L'cie. Do you understand?"

Lebreau nodded quickly, fearing her wrath more than having her mind melted by the Seer. Lightning curled her lip in disgust and dropped her to the ground. She gasped for breath as Lightning walked back around the table and took her place by Fang's side. A smile crept along the Basilisk's features and she nodded towards her friend.

"Hold onto that one, Fang. I like her." She rasped, carefully getting to her feet and sitting back in the chair. "But the matter still stands, you need to give Caius something he wants in order to get him to come to you. Something he has spent years cultivating."

Fang's eyes widened, the realisation striking her heart like ice. "His plans need someone explosive to work. He couldn't get it with Serah because I got her out of Valhalla and… Etro. I was his plan B all along." Lebreau shook with a sigh, looking away from the look of betrayal from her friend.

"No. Unfortunately, Serah was his plan B. You and Gadot were always going to be the weapons. Just when the kid came along it… Gave him other options."

Fang fell quiet, her shoulders slumping in defeat. Her entire life with Valhalla had been a lie. She thought she was doing something good, something righteous. Saving L'cie, standing up for them, empowering them... But all she ever was to Caius was a gun to be fired, a tool to be used. She glanced up at Lebreau, the hurt obvious in her eyes. "Was I even a friend to you? Was I ever family to anyone?"

Lebreau bit her lip and wore a distraught expression. "You were to me, Fang. And I know you will never forgive me, but I am sorry."

Needing the grounding, Fang leant into Lightning and buried her head in the crook of the elemental's neck. Soft, probing fingers ran across her scalp, soothing her. She knew Lightning didn't care for public displays of affection, even tensing whenever she would hug her when they were teens. But Fang smiled softly at the realisation that she was putting all that aside for her. This was what she wanted to fight for. For her real family.

Sitting up slowly, Fang made a decision with herself and straightened up in her seat, placing her hands flat against the table. "Use me as bait, to lure him out into the open. Then we can strike. Finish this. Hopefully serving up his head on a platter can calm some of the unrest amongst the populous." She explained, trying to ignore the look of outrage from the elemental.

Lightning stood up, balling her fists. Electricity arced frantically along her body to mirror her panic. Fang took her by the hands and smoothed out the tension with her thumb stroking along the back of her knuckles. The motion was little comfort to the sheer insane risk that Fang was contemplating.

"Fang, what you're suggesting, it..."

"It's the only way to get him out in the open." Lebreau interjected, receiving an electrified glare in response. "With Noel and I in hiding, Fang and Serah out of reach, his empire in Valhalla is crumbling. He will take whatever he can get his hands on. If Fang wants to be the lure, he'll come for her."

Lightning felt backed into a corner, offering up Fang in a dangerous play… It was madness. "Cid? What's your take on this?"

Raines watched Fang for a moment, looking for any wavering of her resolve. When he found only earnest determination, he hummed and leant forward in his seat. "For this to truly work, we would need to ensure that you can be with her in this, Lightning. If you can't bring her back from Caius' feral programming, it will be all for nothing. If anything happens to you and he triggers her, we're done for."

With a snarl, Lightning got out of her seat and walked over to the window, not impressed with so much riding on a victory against a madman. However, in her heart she knew it would have to come down to them. With Sanctum's forces in disarray, the handful of men Cid had with him wouldn't be enough to stop a powerhouse feral l'Cie like Caius.

It was a stupid and risky play, but if Caius went underground they'd never find him until it was too late. Until he resurfaced with another honed weapon to unleash on the world. He wouldn't come for anyone else. It had to be Fang. "This is ridiculous." Lightning muttered, hearing the shifter approach.

"Regardless of what Caius did to me at the Sanctum headquarters, Light. I've still made bad choices." Fang said quietly, a grave expression on her face. She knew that she had killed of her own free will, of her own control. It started with her, and Fang knew it needed to end with her. "I need to make this right. Help me make this right. Please."

A silence fell in the room while Lightning turned to face Fang, squaring off her stare with one of her own. There was so much behind the shifter's eyes. Anger, hurt, grief… But also hope, determination, and love. Lightning pressed her forehead against Fang's and sighed. "All right. But I'm going to be with you, every step of the way. We'll do this together. As a family. But… We need to wait."

Fang frowned. She could practically see the cogs turning in the elemental's mind as Lightning turned to face the window. Moving up alongside Lightning, Fang gave her a curious look and gently touched her wrist.

"Wait? Light, sweetheart. If we're gonna do this, we need to do this now."

"No," Lightning said, staring out the window into the distance, looking contemplative and deep in thought. Turning with a resolute expression, Lightning clasped her hand on the shifter's shoulder.

"No? What exactly do we need to wait for, gorgeous?" Fang asked, looking curious at the set jaw and resolute determination that steeled the pinkette's gaze. Lightning broke away and glanced around the room, before turning her attentions back outside.

"A storm."


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Giiiiaaaaaant update! You'll be happy to know that as of the weekend, this fic has officially been written in full! WE ARE SO CLOSE. No more waiting around for months for this one to update! Xmas gifts for all in the form of a shitload of updates!

The van walls rattled around them as Lightning quietly unlocked the shackles they had put on Fang for show. While they didn't think that Caius was stupid enough to attack while on Haven grounds, it didn't mean that he wasn't watching them. It didn't mean he wasn't observing and biding his time.

It needed to be realistic.

Fang had left the compound surrounded by Sanctum weapons, struggling in restraints in a partial shift. She had snapped her teeth at them, snarled obscenities about L'cie being the superior race, humanity were all cattle for the slaughter, the act quite convincing. Lightning followed with a solemn expression with a role to play as she followed them to the van, overwhelmed with anger and grief. Drowning in the hurt of the betrayal and subsequent words spilling from the shifter's mouth.

Lightning didn't have to act very hard.

Now, here in the solid steel armoured prison transport, traversing the back roads to get to their check point that they believed Caius would strike, the weight of their decision to fight was practically crushing. Lightning could scarcely breathe, her leg bouncing restlessly as she tried her best to remain calm. There was so much at stake.

"Hey, you alright?" Fang asked quietly, shifting her hands back to normal and cupping the elemental's face. The tension was obvious, and she knew she was the cause. Her and this ridiculous, risky, insane plan. "You know I didn't mean any of that back there, right?"

Lightning sighed and leant into Fang's touch, taking a moment for themselves in the relative quiet. The sound of the diesel engine rattled around them, and Lightning could only hope they made it to the rendezvous point before Caius inevitably struck.

"There was once a time when you would have, though." She answered quietly, still not feeling ready for what was to come. Fang ducked her head and gave her a reassuring kiss that helped to steel her resolve.

"You taught me a better way, Light. You and my family. Even before I… gave my heart to you I knew. I've got a lot of ground to make up from my past mistakes, but I will start with you, and finish this so we can make a life for ourselves, free of this useless conflict."

Tears lined Lightning's eyes as she leant in and kissed Fang again and again, needing that comfort, that assurance to settle in her very soul. "Promise me, Fang. Promise me you'll come back to me, no matter what."

"I promise, Light. You're my home. I'll always come back."

A lurch threw them from the bench, crashing into the floor. Fang's head snapped up and she gave a frantic glance around. "You alright, Light?" She asked, slowly getting to her feet as the van sped up. The elemental groaned and stood up, bashing on the panel dividing them from the driver. A panel slid open and Rygdea appeared in the small window, looking nervous.

"Looks like Caius isn't waiting. Can you guys hold onto something back there? We need to hustle."

"It's a steel cube with moulded benches, Rygdea, what the fuck do you think?" Fang snapped angrily, sparing an exasperated look around the mobile cell they were in. There was nothing to hold onto, and the Sanctum soldier gave them an apologetic nod before turning back and closing the panel. "Fuck's sake… Hang on sweetheart." Fang muttered, grabbing onto Lightning and wrapping her arms around her.

"Fang, what are you-"

"Covering that gorgeous arse. You need to stay conscious for this plan to work so… Consider me your personal seatbelt." Fang drawled, holding on tight and bracing herself in the corner of the van. It was nerve-wracking, to hear the roar of her old mentor outside, the swerve of the vehicle, the scrape of claws on metal, but completely helpless to do anything.

Forced to ride out the increasingly dangerous driving, Fang began to lose her footing as the van suddenly veered violently and fell on its side, skidding along the asphalt. Lightning grimacing from the jarring pain shooting through her body, still not fully recovered from the injuries she had sustained from her fight with Fang. They were pressed for time and while L'cie healed far more quickly than humans, it still wasn't enough to get her back to fully fighting fit. Grateful for Fang cushioning some of the impact, she could only imagine how much more it would have hurt on her own.

The van screeched to a halt, Lightning quickly untangling herself and reaching for her comms unit in her ear. "This is Lightning, do you read me? Caius has made his move several miles out from the intended target zone. You're going to need to move to our location."

" _Roger that, Lightning. Are you alright? Is Fang ok?_ " Vanille's panicked voice came down the receiver.

"We're fine, but that will change the longer backup isn't here. Stay safe, Hex, and get your asses to our coordinates."

The metal on the roof of the van squealed in an ear-piercing pitch as massive claws broke through the steel and began to tear it apart. Fang and Lightning moved back from it and prepared themselves as the roof was slowly peeled away, the shifter turning before they were exposed.

"Don't let him see your injury. Keep your distance. Remember what I said from our training."

Lightning nodded resolutely, balling her fists and throwing out a fierce bolt of electricity the moment Caius' face came into view. It threw the shifter back from the van, far enough for them to get clear and climb out of the vehicle. They found themselves surrounded by dense forest either side of the highway, and while Lightning was relieved that they were at least not being caught out in a populated area, the slew of trees made it harder for their plan. She stared at the dark clouds in the distance and cursed. They were further out than planned.

Caius threw his smoking jacket from his shoulders, charred from the electricity he had been engulfed in. He snarled at the two women standing before him, and pointed a clawed hand at Fang. "You disappoint me, beast. The Haven scum's scent is all over you."

Fang bristled at the comment, curling her lips in anger and baring her teeth. "I won't be a slave to your agenda anymore, Caius. This madness has to stop. I won't let you hurt anyone else."

The Valhalla leader laughed cruelly, his smile malicious. "You don't have a choice, Fang. After all, the seasons have shifted."

There was a strange, choking coldness that fell over Fang's awareness, feeling like something was pulling her down into a black sea. She shuddered and her eyes rolled back in her head before slumping forward, her jaw hanging open in a groan. Lightning took a few cautious steps back, her gaze torn between Fang and Caius.

The larger shifter's grin was manic and his glare possessive of the Pulsian whose mind he held in his grasp. "Is it clear now, Haven scum? She was never yours to begin with. Fang is merely a weapon.  _My_  weapon. Come, beast. Take your place by my side, where you belong."

Fang ambled forward, her feet dragging in the dirt. Lightning instinctively reached out for her, her breath hitching as she saw the immediate change in demeanour. She wanted to bring Fang back, but her instincts were telling her to wait. As much as it hurt to do so, Lightning watched on as Fang came to a stop next to Caius. The Pulsian turned to face her with a blank, emotionless expression that sent a lance of hurt through her heart and panic through her mind. It was the same look before Fang had almost eviscerated her.

"Winter is setting in, beast."

Caius' harsh, barking words drew Lightning's fear to the surface. The guttural snarl that erupted from Fang's throat was terrifying, and she anxiously took a few steps back. She needed to hold out a little longer, wait for the right moment.

"Beast. Kill the L'cie. Make her suffer." Caius sneered, his arrogance bleeding through in the tone of his forceful voice. Fang's eyes locked onto Lightning, and the elemental took a deep breath.

"No. Don't listen to him, Fang. Stand down."

For a moment, it didn't look like Lebreau's fail safe had held. The growling quietened, and Fang's posture relaxed. Caius' eyes widened in outrage, snarling at the elemental. "Beast. I said kill the L'cie. Obey my orders you useless animal!"

Fang frowned, her consciousness warring between two voices vying for control. Lightning gave her a pleading look, holding out her hand. "His voice is of no consequence, Fang. Come back to me. Please." She said firmly, watching as the shifter's eyes fluttered, and focused. Another growl burst from Fang's throat, but it was paired with the most subtle of winks, and Lightning braced for whatever stupid thing she was about to do.

"Come, beast. I tire of these games." Caius threatened, turning to face Fang. She rose an eyebrow and shifted her arms, brandishing her claws.

"I really fucking hate when you call me beast, you son of a bitch!" Fang roared, whipping around and taking a swipe at her former mentor's throat. However, her anger had already tipped him off and he leapt backwards, the claws only catching his skin in a shallow slash.

"How is that… Hm. So be it," Caius snarled, holding his throat to check for the severity of the wound. His eyes tracked to the elemental and he bared his teeth ferociously. "I will finish the task you are too weak for."

The Valhalla leader shot forward, claws outstretched to take out Lightning. She cursed and barely managed to side-step him, the twist of her abdomen making her momentarily breathless. Uncharacteristically stumbling from her still healing injuries, Lightning barely stopped herself from tripping over in the dirt.

"Light!" Fang shouted, racing to put herself in front of the elemental like a shield. She raked her claws outward, going for Caius' chest. He grinned viciously as she cut through only air, leaping out of the way with a laugh.

A distant rumble of thunder brought Lightning some relief and hoped they were in range enough for the storm to be drawn towards her. A light spattering of rain began to prickle at her skin, and she sent a silent prayer to the gods that they would listen and send the elements her way. With Fang between her and Caius, any ranged attack was risky, and had a high chance of hitting Fang as well as, or even instead of her intended target. But she had to do this. Lightning had to focus and succeed if she wanted that life with Fang that was promised.

"Sorry in advance.." She muttered, arcing a bolt of electricity from the sky and focused all her attention on it hitting the mark. It struck true, narrowly avoiding Fang in the process. The Pulsian took a few steps backward with a quick chastising glance back at Lightning, the hairs on her arms standing on end from the static.

"Cutting it a little close, aren't you?" Fang complained, getting a glare from the pinkette in response. The momentary lapse in concentration was enough of an opening for Caius to kick out at Fang's chest, her shifter reflexes being the only thing that stopped his boot. Her own feet skidded on the asphalt as she caught his foot and threw it to the side, knocking him off balance. Taking the opportunity, she lashed out with her claws, finally connecting with his face.

Caius staggered back and clutched at the gash that mangled his rage-filled expression, momentarily blinded from the blood that dripped into his left eye. The light sprinkle of rain started to get heavier, a sign that the storm was moving in their direction. Lightning smiled and threw out a bolt of electricity, striking him in the chest and sending him further backwards to the edge of the trees that lined the highway.

Fang caught her breath, still snarling at her old mentor as water dripped from the tip of her nose. "Impressive." Caius drawled, getting to his feet and eyeing the two women off. "But it won't be enough to stop the war. Too much has already fallen into place. What will you do when they come for your family in the night?"

"I will protect them with everything I have, and everything I am. But I'll do it without your brand of death. If you won't stand down and come quietly, my last act of violence will be to finish you once and for all."

Caius smiled cruelly, hunching over and digging his feet into the dirt. "Then lose yourself in battle, beast. And  _rejoice_!" He roared, launching himself at breakneck speed past Fang and towards Lightning. The elemental barely had time to twist out of the way, her own abilities and expediency impacted by her injuries.

As much as Lightning had been trying to avoid showing any obvious signs of disadvantage, the angle she dodged with made her still healing abdomen tighten in protest, the wince of pain far too obvious for Caius not to notice.

"Embrace the terror, Haven scum. Your weakness is carved across your face, and I will carve the pain into your flesh." He snarled, stalking towards her with murderous intent. A furious roar erupted behind him, Fang's shift in full, rage-filled form as she leapt for Caius, tackling him to the ground. His teeth snapped at her face as they grappled for control, Lightning taking a few steps back to get clear.

"God dammit I can't get a clear shot in…" Lightning cursed, one hand outstretched to arc electricity at the Valhalla madman while clutching at her stomach with the other. She worried her lip and winced at the terrible idea that shot through her mind, the only thing she really could do to split them up.

Lightning brought both her hands forward and pulled them up, releasing a static discharge that blasted the two apart. Fang went soaring and crashed hard into the ground with a grunt, staring up at the sky in disbelief.

"I can't believe you just fucking shot me!" She yelled out in protest, seeing the elemental's apologetic quick wave from the other side of the highway.

"Sorry sweetie!" Lightning shouted back, immediately regretting the choice of words when Caius' head snapped towards her. His look of disgust was palpable, and he scrambled to his feet and shot towards her. As he got within range, Caius kicked his boot out hard to break her knee. Lightning cursed and made an electric blade with her hand, trying to intercept him before he connected. For once she wasn't fast enough, but had managed to lessen the impact as the electricity burnt across his arm.

Caius spat at her as she went down, balancing her weight on her good knee. "Now I know why she is covered in Haven's scent. Yours. Disgusting that she would fall for someone so weak."

Fang had gotten to her feet just in time to see Lightning go down. She cried out and raced forward, trying to get in between them before Caius attacked again. Already knowing that Lightning wasn't at the top of her game on the field with her still healing injuries, it wouldn't take much from her old mentor to reopen them all over again.

Skidding in front just in time, Fang braced her arms up to shield Lightning from his attack. The elemental leant around her and shot an arc out from her hand, sending him crashing back into the hard tar of the highway. "I. Am not. Weak." Lightning growled, resting a hand against Fang's back for balance and a brief moment of seeking focus as she tried to reach out to the approaching storm, to bring it to them faster.

Fang turned briefly as Caius was still down and struggling to get up, touching Lightning's face gently and carefully with her clawed hand. "Are you alright, sweetheart?" She asked, looking her over for any signs of bleeding or injury beyond that painful looking knee.

" _We're almost there, Light. Hold on!_ " Vanille's voice crackled through the comms device, still thankfully fastened firmly in Lightning's ear. Fang gave her a smile and a thumbs up.

"See? Calvary is on its way and- _hgck_!" Fang choked as Caius roared and grabbed her by the throat, forcefully throwing her across the highway. She crashed hard against a tree, dazing her. Satisfied the Pulsian was out of the way, Caius turned back and faced Lightning.

"Witness your end, Haven filth." Caius snapped, and moved for the elemental's jugular with his vicious claws.

The world seemed to slow down for Lightning, she could briefly pinpoint every drop of falling rain. She knew it for what it was. The storm was finally within range enough for her to be affected by it. "Not today, asshole." Lightning rasped, throwing everything into a wave of electricity that sent him flying back mere seconds before his claws connected with her throat.

Caius' landed hard near Fang, shaking off the stun of the voltage quickly. An energy blast caught him on the edges of the highway, narrowly missing him but enough to get his attention as two more L'cie ran into the fray. He snarled as he saw Fang almost getting to her feet and kicked her in the head angrily, knocking her back down.

"Hey! Get away from my sister you jerk!" Vanille yelled out, racing over and squaring off against him while Serah went to help Lightning. Caius sneered at the small, petite redhead, giving her a patronising stare.

"You may have many arms, child, but they will not be fast enough to stop me."

Vanille's head tilted to the side, her expression blank as she reached behind her with all six of her arms. Slowly drawing a blade for each hand from a sheath pack on her back, she brandished a variety of katanas and tanto blades, all sharpened to precision deadliness. "Try me." She replied, launching into a whirlwind of bladed chaos, her polymelic reflexes allowing rapid movements. Her weapons caught Caius on the chest a few times before he managed to get free, an angry roar echoing across the forest.

With Caius momentarily distracted, Lightning got to her feet with Serah's help and gave a tight smile. "Nice to have you join the party." She drawled, nodding towards the violent shifter. "Keep him busy, I need to check on Fang."

Lightning zipped over to Fang, her speed hampered by the limp of her rapidly swelling knee. The storm kept seeping into her awareness and threatening to steal her focus. It made electricity crackle along her skin and her movements much more erratic. As she came to a stumbling halt at Fang's side, the shifter was just regaining composure.

"I want a hot bath. And a beer. And nice music. And candles. Candles are romantic. And you. All of those things." Fang complained, shaking off the dazed, woozy feeling as Lightning helped her to her feet.

"Well get up then, lazy. The sooner we finish this, the sooner we can sort our evening out."

Fang peered at the elemental and narrowed her eyes. "I'm not lazy. I'm injured. And you're… Looking a little more zappy than usual? What's going on with your eyes? They're all… Glowy and shit."

Lightning shrugged as Caius roared in anger behind them. "Hopefully something that'll help. Serah! Take him out!" She yelled out, getting her sister's attention. An energy blast beamed out from Serah's hands, aimed square at Caius' chest. He only just managed to dodge out of the way, the flare setting fire to a tree behind him.

"She said to hit him, Serah, not start a forest fire…" Vanille muttered, staying by her friend's side. Serah glared at her and pouted.

"I… Shut up Vanille."

Caius snarled, drawing everyone's focus towards him as he tore his shirt from his chest. "Foolish, weak, pathetic L'cie. I grow weary of this pointless battle. Let me show you your fate."

His skin darkened, similar patterns to Fang's other form branching across his chest in deep purple and gold hues. From his shoulder blades, two additional arms grew out, with large deep blue hands tipped with jagged, black claws. Where Fang's shifted form was more humanoid in appearance, Caius' was more draconic, sets of bladed horns jutting from his head as his face elongated.

"What. The hell." Lightning exclaimed, taking a few nervous steps back as the ear-splitting roar shook the trees around them. Fang joined her, motioning for Vanille and Serah to do the same. "Have you ever… Seen him like this?"

"Never. This is not good, Light. This is definitely not good."

Caius whipped forward, faster than they'd seen him move. He grabbed Vanille by the wrist and spun, flinging her towards Serah. Only just barely managing to get out of the way by sheer luck, Vanille shot past them and crashed into the trees, landing roughly on the ground.

"Shit. Serah keep your distance from him!" Lightning yelled out as Fang rushed forward, raging at the sight of anyone bringing Vanille harm. She split his abdomen with a devastating slash of claws. He grunted from the pain and doubled over, holding his stomach with two hands while the larger ones protruding from his back attempted to fend her off.

Keeping out of the fray for the moment, Lightning held back and shivered at the pressure from the storm starting to build. "Fang! Get out of the way!" She yelled out, shunting both her hands forward with an incredible flurry of electricity pouring from her hands in a crackling arc of energy.

The element coursing through her was intoxicating, and Lightning struggled not to give into it. As Fang had correctly assumed when they'd first met, elemental-based L'cie were always in constant fight and flow with their abilities, and this was no exception. If she wasn't careful, she could take enough of the storm into her to burn her from the inside out.

The beam struck Caius in the chest and Serah followed up with a large energy bomb, detonating it right on him. It launched him a distance into the trees, the cracking of branches echoing amidst the forest as he went down. The reptilian roar sounded weaker, the blood and wounds covering the Valhalla devout's body seeming to finally start to take a toll.

Vanille jogged up with annoyed look on her face, panting from the exertion. She looked a little bruised and battered and was missing a few of her weapons, but she was mostly ok. "This sucks. I want ice cream after this." She complained, and Lightning rolled her eyes at the similarity between the Pulsian women.

"Sisters. Honestly." She muttered, her spine straightening as a lightning strike hit the ground about a mile away. The thunder was deafening, and yet she longed to hear it again.

A few trees began to fall in the forest near where Caius had landed, his fury being taken out on the trees surrounding him. Fang groaned and rolled her shoulders, stretching out the aches that had already long since started to set in. Her head still pounded, her muscles screamed for rest, but there would be no rest until Caius was stopped or they were dead. Not preferring the latter, she sighed and flexed her claws.

"The bastard doesn't seem to want to slow down. Any ideas?" Fang asked. She heard a grunt of exertion from Caius' direction, and didn't have enough time to move as a thick, jagged branch shot towards her like a spear. It impaled her through the shoulder and sent her crashing to the ground with an agonized scream.

"Fang!" Lightning cried out, rushing to the shifter's side to stem the bleeding. "Van, a little help, please!" As Vanille raced over, Lightning spared a quick glance at her and Serah. The younger Farron was throwing out a flurry of energy explosions to keep him back, but the shifter was rapidly gaining ground.

Lightning was in no shape to protect either of them. And with Fang out… They were running out of options and Caius didn't seem to be slowing down. The storm crackled overhead and sent a course of energy surging through her. Her back arched from the sensation, and she let out a gasp.

" _What did it feel like?_ "

" _I felt like I was able to touch the sky._ "

One of the first conversations that occurred when Fang first came to the Haven rattled through her mind as another bolt lit up the sky overhead. She looked back down at the Pulsian and touched her face gently, careful not to let any of the arcing electricity along her skin go anywhere near her. "I love you. No matter what happens. Serah, Vanille, get Fang out of here and clear some distance. Make sure Rygdea and the driver are clear of the van as well."

Vanille narrowed her eyes and Serah looked concerned. "Sis, what are you planning on doing?" Lightning looked up to the sky and balled her fists.

"Becoming the storm. Get clear.  _Now_."

Fang struggled as the other two helped her up, weakly trying to fend them off. "N-no Light, I won't leave you. It's too dangerous." She said quietly, her voice strained and the toll of the injury apparent.

"Trust me, my love." Lightning gave her a sad smile and tapped on the communicator in ear. "Diabolos? Do you read me?"

" _Y-yeah I read you. What do you need?_ "

"Extraction for the others, a destination for me." Lightning replied, staring at Fang's face and committing it to memory. She was only going to get one shot at this, and there was a lot at stake. Fang's expression turned from outrage to grief as the black mist surrounded them as Hope teleported them all away.

Caius emerged from the forest and stalked across the highway, a large tree bough in each of his enormous hands. "You are a foolish child to leave yourself alone and exposed like this."

Lightning gave a shrug and took a deep breath, steeling herself for the stupid plan she was about to go through. "You know what they say, Caius. You should never stand out in the open in a storm." Hope's small form flitted into view and grabbed onto Lightning by the wrist, keeping close and out of the Valhalla leader's reach.

"Where are we going?" He asked, his eyes widening as Lightning gave him a lop-sided grin and pointed to the sky.

"Up. Make sure you're clear too." She said, feeling the lurch and crawling feeling on her skin as she was suddenly displaced. Cold air rushed at her face and the rain turned into tiny painful pricks against her skin as she found herself in freefall alongside of the teleporter. "Get out of here, Hope! If this doesn't work… Be safe, and be well! Keep your family together!" Lightning shouted over the roar of passing air.

The yellow eyes searched her face for a moment, before Hope closed his eyes and looked away. Hope vanished in a puff of mist, leaving Lightning alone and falling amongst the clouds. She reached out with her mind and called the storm towards her, the clouds swirling and her descent slowing. Ever since her powers manifested, Lightning had wondered what it would be like to become the storm itself. Now she was going to have the opportunity to find out.

Inhaling sharply, Lightning opened herself up to the elements and cried out in pain as the electrical charge quickly became overwhelming. White light shot from her eyes and lit up her skin to the point of where she could see all the individual veins and arteries underneath. Sparing a thought for those she loved and wanted to protect at all costs, she focused on her breathing and allowed the storm to consume her.

The times she had stood out in fields, the day at the lighthouse with Fang, couldn't compare to the way the power moved through her as she continued to draw more of it in. She wondered if there was a limit, if she would turn to ash before too long. When Lightning glanced down at herself, she couldn't see any of her body anymore. It was all too bright. As much as the addicting feeling made her want to stay in the skies forever, Fang wasn't up here with her. The thought pulled her from her intoxicated revelry in her element and she tilted herself to face the world far below.

With a yell that burst from her lungs like a crack of thunder, Lightning shot towards the ground at an incredible speed, building all the power she could up behind her hands and forcing them forward. There was the briefest moment of panic on Caius' face as he rapidly came into view, before she struck the earth. The impact set off a massive explosion of electrical energy that sparked along the treetops and rippled the asphalt of the highway, felling trees and ripping grass from the roots.

All Lightning could see however, was blackness.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another one in the bag! Thank you for sticking with me throughout this (at times) turbulent journey writing this particular fic. Onwards to the next one! Merry festive stuff and happy Get Rid 2018.

"No! Let me go! Let me go you can't keep me here! She needs me!" Fang struggled against Vanille and Serah barely holding her back. The electric explosion she had seen in the forest was massive in scope, temporarily blinding everyone in the group from its sheer brightness. Ignoring the injury to her shoulder, she wrenched herself free and began to lope towards the epicentre of the blast.

"Come on Light… Please be ok…" She whispered as she approached, clutching at the slowly healing wound on her shoulder. The forest around her had been levelled, fallen trees charred with fractal lines along the trunks, burnt grass and blackened dirt. There was an impact crater that was still smoking as she frantically searched for the elemental. Fang shifted back to her human form slowly and carefully, being cautious with her injury.

Hope appeared in a swath of black mist that drifted slowly like ash to the charred dirt at his feet. Fang whirled around and gave him a panicked look, reaching out and grabbing him by the shoulder. "Help me make sure it's clear. Please."

"On it." He answered with a nod, vanishing again. Fang could hear him teleporting around the clearing, rapidly covering ground as she made her way to the centre. The rain was slowly dissipating, which meant that Lightning was no longer drawing the storm to their area. She cried out as she saw the still form of the pinkette in the centre, skidding to her knees before her.

"Light!"

The elemental was unconscious and singed, her uniform in tatters. Burn marks ran along her exposed skin beneath the black in scorches along her body, making intricate patterns like lightning across the sky. Clumps of her hair had been burnt, and Fang choked back a sob while she searched for any signs of life.

"Hope! Get over here!" Fang yelled out, clutching at Lightning's face. "Come on baby, hold on. I'm here. Don't you go bowing out now. Please, Light. Stay with me."

The teleporter appeared and knelt beside them, placing his fingers against the elemental's throat. "There's a pulse, Fang. She's alive. That sheer amount energy would have taken a lot out of her."

"No fucking kidding," Fang snapped, before bowing her head in regret. "Sorry. Sorry, I know you're just trying to help. Sorry. We… We need to get her out of here."

"Not yet. We have to make sure she's stable, first. I'll get the others." Hope answered, already forgiving the biting response and vanishing into the air itself.

Fang stared at the space he was kneeling for a moment before drawing her gaze back to the woman in her arms. She gently stroked the pinkette's cheek to wipe some of the soot and dirt away, wincing at the light burns across her face. "You promised you'd stick around, so you better."

"I… Know…" Came a rasping response, barely audible as Lightning whispered with the faintest of smiles. Fang's breath caught in her throat as the elemental's eyes weakly fluttered open and slowly looked up at her. "Love… You…"

Fang heaved a sigh of relief and her shoulders slumped from sheer exhaustion. "I love you too, Light. Thank the gods you're ok… Had me worried for a minute there, sweetheart."

"We… Win?" Lightning asked, her consciousness ebbing as Fang cupped her face and kissed the top of her head.

"We did, sweetheart. Real power move you got there. I'm beyond impressed. Just stay with me, we'll get you home to a nice bath and a bed." Fang answered, tearing up at the sight of the pinkette's injuries.

"Only… If you… Join.. me…" Lightning whispered her eyes slowly closing as she lost consciousness again. Fang traced her fingertips across the elemental's face as she took a ragged breath, fighting back tears.

Teleporting in with the others in tow, Serah and Vanille raced over with a med kit and began immediately attending to Lightning. The redhead gently pried Fang away and pulled her from the scene. "Let us work, Fang. She's alive. Go check the perimeter with Hope and make sure we're safe. If she survived, chances are Caius is just as stubborn."

Fang swallowed hard and gave a pained look back towards Lightning. She reluctantly nodded and sniffed at the air, struggling to discern anything that didn't smell like burning wood or charred flesh. Pacing in a slow outward circle, Fang eventually picked up on a familiar scent. With a low, guttural growl she took off into the forest, following the trail while still keeping the others in her peripherals.

The sight she came upon was a gruesome one. Caius' blackened, burnt body was leant up against a tree, drag marks in the dirt from where he had crawled. He was mortally wounded, bleeding out from deep lacerations in his chest, missing a leg below the left knee and his right arm burnt off at the shoulder. Caius drew a wheezing breath, drawing his bloodshot gaze to Fang as she approached.

"So… This is.. The world you… Wanted… Beast?"

Fang spat at the ground, tears in her eyes. "Fuck you, Caius. I trusted you. You were meant to be my family. You took me in and gave me a home."

"Gave you… Purpose…"

A growl left Fang's throat as she looked away, gritting her teeth. "That was all I ever was to you, wasn't it? Just a weapon to be aimed and fired."

"You were… My warrior… Goddess.." Caius rasped, his voice broken and strained as he coughed weakly. Blood spilled from his lips and he leant his head back against the tree. "They will… Hate you… Fear you… Kill you… Was only… Trying to protect… Our kind."

Fang knelt down and bowed her head, tears hitting the dirt beside his body. "What you brought upon us, won't protect us, Caius. This war will still occur without you, and it will have been for nothing. We can only try to make right the damage done. Tell me where Yeul is, so someone can at least look after her."

Caius laughed, a rattling sound in his chest. "Stupid… Beast… Yeul is… Gone. We lost her… To the seas… Years ago."

Paling at the admission, Fang seethed and gripped his throat, her fingers stretching out into claws. "You mean to tell me all this time you've been hanging a ghost over our heads? That Lebreau was forced to do all those terrible things because you threatened her with a telepath that had long since left the world?" Caius said nothing, only smiled as more blood dribbled from his lips. "You son of a bitch. You've no idea the damage you've done, the danger you've put all of us in. So much for protecting your kind."

"In the end… I will be right…"

Fang snarled and gripped tighter, cutting off his airway. His expression remained calm in the face of death, not breaking eye contact with her until he closed his eyes in resignation. She roared and tore out his throat, her mentor slumping over and bleeding out in the charred earth.

"But you won't be around to gloat about it, you fucking bastard."

She lowered her hand with a mournful cry, looking up to the skies as the threat of Caius' reign was finally over. Fang hung her head and sobbed, burying her face in her hands. Years of lies, manipulation and deceit had led to this moment, and it felt so much like a hollow victory. What had they really achieved throughout this? Raines was right. The war was likely still coming despite stopping Caius and his mad schemes.

"Fang?"

Vanille's voice came from behind her, quiet and cautious as the redhead approached. Fang turned her head slightly to regard her, tears causing clean lines through the dirt on her face.

"It's done. It's over."

Her sister placed a gentle hand on her shoulder before leaning down to wrap a few more arms around her. "You did good, Fang. Let's leave the clean up to the Sanctum squad on approach and go home."

Fang nodded slowly, allowing Vanille to help her up. She spared one final look at Caius before clenching her fist, cutting into the palm of her hand with her claws. She raised her arm and let the blood drip at his feet with a growl, closing her eyes in a brief, silent prayer. "May this be the last of the blood I spill in your name, Caius. Go peacefully into the seas."

Vanille's jaw tightened as she tugged on Fang's arm, leading her away from the trees and from the last chapter of her haunting past.

* * *

 

By this point, Lightning was no stranger to waking up in the med bay. But this was certainly the first time she had woken up with a warm weight draped across her. She glanced down groggily to find Fang fast asleep, burrowed into her shoulder with an arm hugging her tight around her waist.

Careful not to wake her, Lightning trailed her fingertips along Fang's face. She smiled softly at the way Fang murmured happily and burrowed deeper into her shoulder. It was these moments she had dreamt about over the years. Just like when they were teens falling asleep together under a tree at the park. Her heart longed for Fang then just as much as it did now. No. That wasn't quite right. She loved her more as the woman she had become, not the memory that was.

Taking a moment to stare at the ceiling, Lightning felt electricity behind her eyes, remnants of the storm that had almost managed to consume her. Closing her eyes, she let off a small shunt of electrical discharge, making the lights in the room flicker and the monitors beep in alarm. Fang snapped to attention, eyes darting wildly about the room before settling on the elemental in her arms.

"Hi."

"Hi yourself." Fang answered, gently brushing a strand of hair from her face. Lightning blushed and nuzzled into the brunette's neck, sighing loudly.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to startle you. Just had to… Get rid of the excess." While true enough, Lightning felt it lingering still, as if she was hard lined into the storm. A live wire into her element. "There might be… A lot of excess."

Fang cupped her face and brought her gaze over to her. Checking Lightning's eyes and seeing the brief currents of electricity made her frown in concern. "We'll get you healed up and take you out into the fields for a bit of work. It'll be ok."

Lightning noted the way Fang's eyes kept drifting across her face and down her neck. She slowly pressed the hand against her cheek with one of her own. "How bad is it?" Lightning asked, not missing how the shifter's gaze immediately looked away.

"Nothing that won't heal with time, sweetheart." Fang croaked, looking back with a sad smile. Lightning hummed thoughtfully before running her fingers through her hair. It was badly damaged and missing in spots, and she clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"At least it's getting into winter and I can wear beanies until it grows back…" Lightning mumbled, watching as Fang winced.

"That isn't… Uh… That's not exactly what I was talking about, I'm afraid."

Lightning frowned and held up her hand, looking at the tiny healing fractal burns that ran up her hand and along her arm. Some of them definitely looked like they were going to scar. "Oh. Wow. That's… Different." She observed, unsure of what else to say. It seemed that her body did have limits with her element after all, and whether that meant she had broken herself or become something else entirely was anyone's guess at this point. Time, and healing would answer that for her.

"I was… Real scared, Light." Fang said quietly, idly tracing patterns on her stomach as she settled back down against the pinkette's shoulder. "There was this brilliant flash of light that just… Damn near burnt my retinas out. The explosion was intense, and I… I thought I'd lost you."

At first, Lightning didn't say anything, her mind cast back to the incredible power she had taken within herself from the storm. The adrenaline from riding the currents in the clouds, the overwhelming feeling of elation.. But Fang was her anchor, the port in the storm to bring her home. The thoughts of Fang was what stopped her on the very edge of burning out every nerve in her body. Of letting the intoxicating element just consume her. "You wouldn't lose me. I had to come home for you, after all."

"How close did you get?" Fang asked. The question was asked quietly, but the tone no less firm. She looked up from her spot in the crook of Lightning's neck and sat up. "I've seen elementals go too far before back at Valhalla, Light. How close did you get?"

Lighting knew exactly what the shifter was asking. They'd had enough late night philosophical discussions about the nature of elemental L'cie and their risks. "Close enough. I got… Close enough. But you brought me back."

The answer wasn't really required in the end, the small fractal patterns that marred her skin were testament enough to how finely she skirted that edge. Lightning followed the trails on her hand with her eyes before looking back over at Fang. "How long was I out for this time?" She asked, still feeling the slight strain on her ribs and abdomen that Fang had taken care to avoid with her arm.

"Only a couple of days. You're healing quickly all things considered."

"Not quickly enough. I'm sick of being in bed." Lightning complained with a murmur, pulling Fang back down and wincing as the shifter got comfortable. "So it's done?"

"Cid is attempting to do damage control with Noel and Lebreau in custody- even Gadot turned himself in as well," Fang paused, her voice wobbling on the mention of her friends. No matter what Lebreau had done, Fang still cared about her, and worried about what was going to happen to her and Noel despite their complicity. "A number of groups are coming together under Sazh's banner to promote cooperation and community initiatives to show that we're not all crazed killers. I'll probably have to bow out of the public eye for the foreseeable future seeing as my face was plastered all over the news with that bullshit Caius had me running."

Lightning's head tilted back against the pillow as she closed her eyes and sighed. "I'm sorry." She whispered, her heart aching at the situation Fang was now in. Forced house arrest as punishment under the guise of protection. If only she hadn't let Fang leave the house that day, if only she had have leapt to her defence instead of so quickly fearing the worst.

"Don't be." Fang replied, breaking Lightning from her thoughts. The shifter pressed her lips against the elemental's hairline and inhaled. "I've spent my whole life running, Light. It'll be nice to not have to run about and relax for a while. I have a lot of terrible television to catch up on."

Lightning laughed at Fang's antics, but the sound seemed forced. The guilt was still present, even as she lay wounded in the med bay bed. "I shouldn't have let you go that day. I should have fought for you. I seem to have broken all my promises to you, haven't I?"

Fang moved slightly, sitting up a little and resting her weight on her arm. "What about that other promise, Claire? I haven't turned into a chocobo just yet but… Do you still love me?"

Even after everything that had happened, knowing what Fang had come from, the times they'd fought before they knew each other and the times they'd fought after... It was one promise Lightning knew she would always keep. She leant forward and took Fang by the jaw, bringing her into a slow kiss. Lightning felt the sharp inhale of breath before Fang responded, threading her fingers through the pink hair.

"Does that answer your question?" Lightning answered breathlessly, Fang not hiding the brilliant smile that appeared.

"I dunno Light, you might need to explain it to me in a little more depth..."

"Hah, very funny."

* * *

 

Some months had passed since the showdown. As expected, there was much turbulence and unrest in the cities, fear of L'cie was at an all time high. Thankfully there had been movements within Sanctum thanks to Cid that helped stave off the worst of it. Keep those baying for L'cie blood away from the Haven, showing fluff pieces on campus that showed the good work Sazh was doing to help integrate the L'cie into the wider society, and work with Sanctum for those that were… Less than cooperative.

Fang sighed and kept her hoodie up and large dark aviators on as she was led into a Sanctum facility via an underground entrance. She walked alongside Rygdea as he guided her through the maze of hallways in the new headquarters. "Listen, Ryg. I uh… I still can't apologise enough about what went down with… With everything."

"Psht. Don't fret your pretty little head off girly. We all know it wasn't you but the snake in the cell. Uh. Sorry. No offense. I know she's your friend and all but…"

Giving a low growl, Fang looked away as they came to a stop. "She's no friend of mine. Not anymore. I don't even know why I agreed to come to these ongoing sessions. Any of Caius' programming was made redundant the second I tore his throat out."

"Eeesh. Always with the detail, Fang. Jeez. And while yes, I know Caius is gone, I think we'd all rather be safe than sorry. Don't worry. We've got eyes on you the whole time and knockout gas ready to go as always. She even makes you cluck like a chicken and we're pumping the room."

Fang rolled her eyes as she waited impatiently for the cell to open up. "Thanks. That's such a relieving thought." She drawled, hearing the beep and watching the door slide open. Lebreau sat reclined on her bed in a white cotton prison-issued uniform, a metal muzzle over her mouth to prevent her from speaking. The door clicked shut behind Fang and when they were sealed in, a small beep came from the device over Lebreau's face. The muzzle slowly retracted from her face, and the basilisk breathed a sigh of relief.

"Gods, that is so much better. The air gets so stale through that mask." Lebreau complained, earning herself no sympathy from Fang. The shifter took a seat at the table as Lebreau got up and stretched, sauntering over to the chair opposite. "Hi Fang. It's nice to see you again. I don't get visitors much, these days. For obvious reasons."

There was no response from Fang, who folded her hands on the table and sat as comfortably as she could on the steel chair. Lebreau sighed and rubbed her face with her hands while she had the ability to, looking up at the security cameras with a glare. "Alright then, down to business I suppose. We'll see how the de-programming is going. Winter is coming, Fang."

Fang shivered hard at the words, feeling a darkness creeping in on her mind. But she took a few deep breaths and forced it back. She stared hard at the basilisk in outward defiance of the words and the programming. Lebreau nodded thoughtfully, her golden eyes shining and immediately capturing the shifter's attention.

"Very good. You've come a long way. The words are meaningless, Fang. They hold no power over you anymore, Anything Caius taught you was false. Anything he said to you was a lie. Keep these words as truth, and if you ever find yourself slipping, remember that Lightning is your anchor. She is your heart and your truth. Anytime your programming is triggered, you will remember her and come back to yourself. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Lebreau." Fang droned dully, easily falling under the grip of Lebreau's abilities. The rage and anger that still lingered from the basilisk's betrayal slowly melted away under the spell of her voice, and left an easy calm that drew a soft smile on her face.

"That's it. Good, Fang. You're doing very well to listen to me. Because it's easy to listen to me, isn't it? When you listen to me it allows me into your mind to stop the claws of Caius' terrible programming into your mind. When you listen to me it allows you to just drift in peaceful calm."

Fang said nothing, sitting there in silence as she remained enthralled. Lebreau sighed and rest her chin on her hand, watching her old friend. "I wish I could be out of this cell. But I know the instant I leave Yeul will strike me down and fry my brain before I could even hail a taxi."

"Yeul is gone." Fang answered quietly, her mind open to Lebreau who sat up at her words.

"What do you mean she is gone, Fang? Tell me."

Compelled by the words, Fang sighed and slumped forward in the chair. "Caius told me with his last breaths. Yeul died a long time ago. He has just been using her like a weapon to get people to do his bidding."

Lebreau leant back in her set and ran her fingers through her dark hair. "Is that so…" She hummed, glancing around the room. She moved her chair around to speak quietly in her ear, as Fang drifted lazily in a semi-conscious state.

"Fang? Fang! Hey! Snap out of it!"

Startled by the violent shaking of her shoulders, Fang yelped and grabbed Rygdea by the arms. "Ryg mate, what the hell?" She exclaimed, feeling disorientated and woozy. Rygdea pulled her to her feet and dragged her out the door and down the hallway.

"We've gotta get you outta here. I won't have you complicit in that snake's shit again." He yelled, rushing amidst the personnel who were racing with armed guards down the hallway. Fang's eyes widened and she ripped her arm out of his grip.

"The hell are you talking about?" She demanded, trying to weasel away from Rygdea attempting to grab her again. He sighed and pushed her into a side room and shut the door behind them.

"Lebreau was whispering shit to you so the guards watching the room turned the mics on to hear her. But the words weren't for you, they were to lure them into listening. Turns out her abilities work over fucking radio waves. She had them escort her out of the cell and down to the others to release Noel and Gadot. They're gone, Fang. And you were left sitting there to potentially take the fall for them. I ain't gonna let that happen. Light will kill me. So we gotta go."

Fang just stared incredulously at the Sanctum officer, her jaw hung open. "It… She couldn't just…" At that point her phone rang and interrupted her. At Rygdea's prompting, Fang hesitantly answered it, putting it on speaker.

"Hello, darling. Sorry about the sudden exit. But if I don't have the proverbial sword swinging at my neck in the form of that damn telepath, well… Not much point in me sticking around anymore is there? Those jumpsuits are definitely not my style."

Rygdea bared his teeth at the phone, as if his aggression would melt her ear off at the other end. "Lebreau, we had a deal."

"A deal that was only hinged on my protection from the telepath. That's no longer a requirement. We're going to vanish and live out our lives in peace from this madness, so you'll have nothing to worry yourselves over. Don't try to find us, pets. You leave us be, and we'll go quietly. You'll never hear from us again."

"Lebreau…" Fang called out sadly, devastated at once again being betrayed. There was a soft sigh on the other end of the line before the basilisk sighed.

"I'm sorry, darling. I don't mean to be a constant source of disappointment for you these days but… Can't be helped I'm afraid. Remember what I said, sweetheart. Lightning is your anchor to your humanity. Don't let anything Caius taught you burn your life to the ground. That man has done enough damage to us all. Goodbye."

The click of the phone hanging up was resolute and final. Fang held the phone in her hand before looking up at Rygdea in disbelief that their entire day had so rapidly fallen to hell.

"Fuck."


	22. Chapter 22

Lightning sat against a tree in the sports field at the Haven, working on her breathing. Her hair had thankfully grown back enough for her to stop running about in hats, though her short, clipped hair was something she was still getting used to. The fractal burn marks had faded to a white pattern along her arms and across her torso, the feathered lines trailing up her neck and feathered along the bottom of her jaw on one side.

Her abilities had been somewhat sporadic and unstable since the fight with Caius, and Lightning was thankful for Fang's steady presence to help her work through the worst of it. It required a lot of meditation, a lot of practice and at times she felt like she was just awakening with her abilities all over again. A fact that frustrated her at times. Lightning ran her hands through the fuzz of hair at the back of her head and sighed.

The Haven had grown in admissions, with the once quiet halls now filled with happy L'cie who were eager to learn. Cid had managed to somehow wrangle an accepted Sanctum presence within the walls who taught them a varied number of classes of power suppression and defence, to help combat the stigma caused by Caius' actions. While Lightning was content that the world hadn't immediately imploded in the wake of Caius and his madness, it didn't mean that trouble wasn't on the horizon or that war wasn't still coming for them.

In the interim, the Haven had become a little claustrophobic for Lightning, who needed space to be able to ground properly. She had Fang to help her out, but it sometimes felt like it wasn't enough. There were too many students now. Too loud, too crowded, it was hard for Lightning to find moments of peace. It was as always, tempting to run. But at least this time she had someone that would run with her.

"Hey."

The subject of her thoughts called out behind her, the heavy footsteps coming to a halt before Fang ungracefully collapsed on the ground with a huff beside her. Lightning leant over and gave Fang a sympathetic kiss on the cheek, wrapping her arm around her bicep to rest against the shifter. "Hey. Sazh filled me in on what happened while you were on the way back. You ok?"

Fang's jaw tightened and she rest her head against the top of Lightning's. "I will be. Still doesn't stop it from hurting, you know? She said she made that deal to protect me, but really it was just to protect her own skin."

"Do you believe what she said? That she'll disappear and not cause us any more grief?"

There was a loud sigh from the shifter as she leant her weight on her hands. "I feel like I've spent years with my brain in a blender, Light. I don't know what to believe anymore."

Lightning leant against Fang and pushed her against the tree, burrowing into her favourite spot on the shifter's shoulder. Fang dutifully put an arm around her and held her close, warmed by the afternoon sun. "We don't have any classes until tomorrow morning. Our schedule is free for the rest of the day."

"Good to know. Means I can take my time with you instead. Or nap against this tree, just like old times."

Lightning took a quick glance around the grounds and satisfied they were alone enough, she stole a brief kiss from the shifter, whose tense form immediately relaxed against her. Fang ran her hands through the clipped cut around the edges of Lightning's hair and hummed with delight. "I kinda like this look on you, you know. It's edgy." She purred, continuing to gently massage the elemental's scalp.

"If I don't tell you to shut up about the haircut will you keep doing that?" Lightning asked, closing her eyes and leaning into the touch.

"Only if you tell me what's on your mind, sweetheart. I'm not the only one who is tense as all hell today."

Lightning bit her lip and looked away, before glancing back at the Haven buildings behind them. "I just… Sometimes I wish we could just leave. Still living in a dormitory in my early twenties with a bunch of other students isn't exactly how I dreamed my life would turn out." She sighed. While Sazh had moved them to a "teachers" wing of sorts, being in such close quarters with people was likely exacerbating her inability to get her powers under control.

Fang just gave a small smile and glanced to the driveway and the road beyond. "Well, as tempting as that is, we've got terrible adult responsibilities to Sazh and the students here." She answered, Lightning giving her a gentle slap on her arm.

"Ha, since when have you become so responsible?"

Leaning down to capture the elemental's lips, Fang kissed her until she was breathless. "Oh, I'd like to think some gorgeous electrified taser had something to do with it."

"You're hilarious." Lightning drawled, rolling her eyes. She settled in with a quiet yawn, wrapping her arm across Fang's waist. The shifter's heartbeat calmed her, knowing she was close, safe, and home. "I feel like I can't get space here anymore. It's great that the Haven is being so well received, and that Sazh's dream and all his work is coming to fruition, but… Yeah. There's a lot of people here."

Fang hummed in agreement, her mind already calculating ways to make the elemental feel better. "We'll figure something out gorgeous. We'll find a way to make the best of both worlds."

"If it comes to it and I have to leave, will you come with me?" Lightning asked, knowing it was a lot considering her own broken promise to Fang when the shifter had begged the same of her so long ago. But to her credit, Fang didn't dwell on it and kissed the top of her head softly.

"I promise, we'll go together."

* * *

 

"There you are!"

Fang practically jumped out of her skin while loading things into the back of her truck. She turned with a lazy wave and pulled Lightning close as she approached. The elemental smiled and leant in to kiss her, Fang as always feeling a small, pleasurable tingle on her lips.

"Hey, gorgeous. What are you up to today?" The shifter asked casually, giving Lightning a nuzzle.

"Mostly wondering what you're up to with all those tools in the trunk." Lightning replied with an arch of her eyebrow, peering over Fang's shoulder. There was a jumbled mess of what seemed to be timber planks, various tools from the workshop and sealed cardboard boxes.

"Oh? That? That's... Nothing. Just some junk I gotta take to the dump."

Lightning hummed and burrowed into the crook of Fang's neck, trying not to let her intrusive thoughts get the better of her. The truth was, Fang had been disappearing a lot lately. Ever since the two of them had been getting closer and... Lightning swallowed hard, not wanting to think that her reluctance towards affection had caused the shifter to back off.

"Hey, you ok?"

Fang's voice brought Lightning out of her head and she nodded from her spot against the warm Pulsian. "I'm ok. Just trying to figure out when you're going to stop vanishing all the time." She asked, feeling the tension immediately in the shifter's body. Lightning cursed herself for the passive aggressive remark and slowly untangled herself. When she finally glanced up at the vivid emerald irises, she saw how Fang seemed torn between wanting to say something or remaining silent.

"Soon, Light. I promise. I'm taking care of something. It's important. And then you'll have me all to yourself soon enough." Fang replied, drifting the back of her knuckles gently across Lightning's cheek. The display of affection coupled with the promise alleviated some of Lightning's concerns a little, but it still gnawed at the back of her mind as Fang kissed her gently before leaving. Watching the truck head off down the long driveway and vanish onto the street beyond, Lightning began to pace in the garage, fighting with herself not to fret.

It was two months ago, by her count. They had defeated Caius and saved the Haven, paving the way for a peaceful path between humans and L'cie. It allowed her and Fang the space and the quiet to explore their escalated relationship, without the threats looking over them. But she had messed up. Let her powers get the better of her and accidentally started a small electrical fire in her bedroom. It was a simple spark from a simple touch, when Fang slipped a hand underneath her shirt. It was mildly startling despite it being pleasurable, and it led to a surge of her namesake through the appliances in the room. After they had put out the fire, it had killed the mood, but then again, Lightning hadn't been in the mood since.

Fang had been distant as a result, saying she had somewhere to be, and was gone for long periods of time. Lightning sniffed and stared towards the gates. She would get to the bottom of this one way or another. Lightning didn't want to be strung along if Fang couldn't be patient. She'd rather know now than be hurt later. With a shuddering breath she took off down the driveway at speed and followed the road. It took no time at all to catch up to Fang, and Lightning zig-zagged across the highway and surrounds when she got too close.

Before too long, her steps slowed when she realised the direction Fang was headed in. She knew the highway, the way it would around the cliffs towards the ocean. She walked the last few miles, a considerably slower pace than her usual breakneck speeds. Each foot felt like she was dragging lead as the old lighthouse loomed before her. Lightning could hear music from inside the structure as she cautiously approached, looking around at the tools and frowning. Just what exactly was Fang doing here?

She carefully stepped inside and looked around, surprised at the appearance. The cracks in the walls had all been sealed over and a fresh coat of paint lined the walls. Lightning could hear Fang further upstairs, singing quietly to the music coming from the small radio plugged in by the door. Continuing to investigate, Lightning noticed a few amenities had been put in place, a small bar fridge, a couch and a TV with some very expensive surge protectors plugged into the back of it.

While the pinkette explored the warm and inviting improvements to the abandoned lighthouse, Fang came down the stairs to grab something from the truck while still singing to herself. "And we danced until we flat out fallin' into bed, and I won't let you go-OH FUCK. LIGHT. Etro's Gate that's twice today you've scared the living daylights out of me! What the hell!"

Lightning stood stunned as Fang clutched at her chest, the shifter's face caught somewhere between outrage and exasperation. She frowned, looking around at the room and felt lost. "Fang what... what is going on?"

"What is going on? I'd be askin' the same thing at this point... Did you follow me out here?"

Electricity sparked off Lightning's fingertips as she balled her fists. "You've been... disappearing lately. A lot. And... It's been ever since that stupid night where I set fire to half the electronics in my room because... I can't get my abilities under control. I can't control myself around you. I... Have I done something wrong... To make you distant?"

Fang's look of heartbreak was devastating, and Lightning sniffed, wiping a tear from her cheek with her sleeve. "Oh baby, no. Sweetheart come here..." Fang cooed, gently scooping the elemental up in her arms. "Dammit I'm an idiot... I wanted this to be a surprise."

"...A... S-surprise?"

"Yeah. Ever since that night and that conversation on the field I've... Wanted to try to find a way to make you comfortable, to give you that space you crave so much. I don't want you to feel pressured or think there's any expectations between us, because I'm just happy to be with you, no matter the capacity."

Lightning burrowed against Fang's shoulder, feeling embarrassed over her insecurities. "You do?"

"Yeah, you electrified idiot, I do. I found you again, Claire Farron. You're stuck with me now, got it?" Fang chastised gently, stroking the pale hair with her fingertips, softly massaging the elemental's scalp. She heard a tiny laugh from Lightning and hoped she had done enough to break the tension.

Fang stepped back and gestured around them. "I was going to bring you out here next weekend because I was just about done with the place before you got impatient... But I tracked down the owners of the land, and asked them if I could do the place up. That way they keep the land, value of their asset goes up because someone's maintaining the place, and we get a place to call our own."

Lightning was overwhelmed at Fang's careful planning, trying hard not to tear up all over again. "You... Did all this, for me?"

"For us." Fang corrected, leaning down to take her lips in a soft, reassuring kiss. Lightning melted against her, draping her arms around her neck as the elemental finally started to calm down. "The Haven is a great place, but it's also filled with people. And you know how much I hate people. I think you're putting too much pressure on yourself, sweetheart. I wanted to make a space where we can just go away from the rest of the world, and just... Be. Aside from the appliances in here, there's not a single electronic thing to fry for at least a ten mile radius. So it's one less thing for you to worry about."

Lightning's heart swelled with love, pulling Fang by the neck to kiss her deeper. "This is an awful lot of trouble to go to in order to take me to bed, Fang."

"Hush, demon. It's not about that, and I didn't just do this for your comfort." Fang answered with a gentle slap of Lightning's rear. She worked her jaw a few times before bowing her head with a sigh. "I get claustrophobic in places with a heap of people, and with the Haven growing in popularity it's making the place too crowded for me. I want us to be close to our family, but have somewhere we can get away to when we need. A place for just us, and nobody else."

It was a valid point, Lightning had to admit. Even without their... Accident... it was getting harder and harder to find the time to be alone together. That Fang had gone to all of this effort to build this space for the two of them, and in a remote location where she wouldn't have to fret as much about her powers... Lightning leant up and kissed Fang passionately, leaving her lips tingling with a tiny volt of electricity. She broke away and nuzzled into the shifter's neck, feeling warm, and safe, and whole.

"You're amazing. And I love you." Lightning murmured quietly, her eyebrows raising at the gentle rocking she felt herself being guided in. She glanced up for find the brunette humming along to the music in the background, swaying in a slow dance. "Fang?"

"Shhhh. I like this song."

Lightning smiled and shifted herself up, resting against Fang's shoulder as they danced in the small lighthouse kitchen. Their lighthouse kitchen, Lightning recalled with a giddy smile, turning to kiss along Fang's neck. "I always wanted to do this with you."

"We did. School dance."

"Doing a crazy rendition of a chicken dance until the teachers let us leave is not what I meant, Fang."

"Sure it is. I was irresistible then, I'm irresistible now and besides, we had a great night on the beach afterwards. I'm not easy to forget, you know." Fang drawled with a happy smile, looking down and kissing Lightning on the top of her head. The elemental hummed contentedly and reached down to guide Fang's hands underneath her shirt, the touch of her fingertips along her waist as electrifying as her own powers.

"You might be right. Sorry it took us nearly killing each other to realise it. I think... I think I've always loved you. I've always known that I loved you."

Fang's eyes widened at the quiet admission, her heart soaring. It was all the validation she had needed to hear. Etro knew she felt the same way. Her breath hitched as Lightning brought her hips closer, feeling the elemental's hands brushing along the buttons on her shirt and slowly undoing the top few to get at her collarbone. Fang let out a quiet breath at the slow trail of kisses Lightning left, her hands gripping tighter.

"So this place is ours huh?" Lighting asked, a little out of breath from the attention she was giving the shifter. Fang nodded and ran her fingers along her jawline with a smile.

"It is. Welcome home, sweetheart."

Lightning closed her eyes and nuzzled Fang's neck, content and letting months of tension slowly bleed out as they danced together. She looked up with a slow, easy smile and nodded towards the nearby spiral staircase. "This place have a bed, Fang?"

"Y-yeah I... Put it together yesterday so... G-good to go." The Pulsian answered, swallowing hard. "But we don't... Have to do anything you're not ready for.."

"Fang?" Lightning stopped their dance and ran the tips of her fingers across the shifter's lips, generating a very slow current of electricity that had Fang gasping. "Shut up and take me to bed."


End file.
